Corruption of Israel – 2 Kings

2 Kings starts with Elisha succeeding Elijah. Elijah trained Elisha as his successor. Elisha’s ministry lasted 50 years. Most of the miracles which God did through him were deeds of kindness and mercy.

2 Kings 1 to 7 talks about the corruption of Israel. Jeroboam, the ruler of Israel, the Northern Kingdom, made Shechem his capital. It was the center of the land. It was the custom, according to the law, to go up to Jerusalem regularly to worship (Deuteronomy 12:11,14; 16:6,15,16; 1 Samuel 1:3,7). Jeroboam was afraid to have the 10 tribe’s journey to Jerusalem, the capital of Judah, Rehoboam’s kingdom, to worship God. So he made two golden calves and placed them in convenient spots – Bethel and Dan in the northern end of the kingdom, so people would not have to go to Jerusalem. For more than 20 times we see his name mentioned as “Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin”. It shows us to beware of man-made religion. After 200 years, the people were carried into captivity by the king of Assyria (2 kings 17). Many of God’s prophets had warned Israel of captivity, but they would not turn from their idolatry to Jehovah.

For 80 years there was continuous war between them. Then there was a period of 80 years of peace between these two kingdoms following the marriage of the son of Jehoshaphat (Judah) to the daughter of Ahab (Israel). In Judea (southern kingdom), there was only one dynasty (David) from King Rehoboam to Zedekiah. The great prophets of that day were Nathan, Isaiah, Micah, Jeremiah, Joel and Zephaniah.

About 136 years after the Northern kingdom (Israel) had been taken into captivity by Assyria, the Southern Kingdom (Judah) was taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Jerusalem was destroyed, the Temple burned and the princes led away. It is because the people had forgotten God and refused to listen to the warnings of the prophets.

There is a great difference between the fall of Israel and Judah. Israel was scattered throughout the nations for an indefinite period, but God specified the length of Judah’s captivity to seventy years. Judah was to return to Jerusalem, which happened later. The Messiah was to come out to Judah and God was preparing the way for him to come there and not to Babylon or Assyria. God was using even the rulers of foreign nations to work out His plan.

The history of Jews is a record of Gods dealings with disobedient children. In all punishment, He is kind and merciful for He loves them still. As new Israel, we the people in Christ needs to learn from the mistakes these people did against God by being obedient to Him and live a life that pleases Him.

Splendid Reign of Solomon – 1 Kings

If we reject God, He will reject us. If we obey God, He will bless us. “In those days the Lord began to reduce the size of Israel” – 2 Kings 10:32. First and Second Kings are just a continuation of the books of Samuel. As their name suggests, they record the events of the reign of Solomon and then of the succeeding kings of Judah and Israel. They cover a period of 400 years and tell the story of the growth and then decay of the kingdom. Kings begin with King David and end with the king of Babylon. Kings open with the building of the Temple and end with the burning of the Temple. During Solomon’s reign, the kingdom reached the height of its grandeur. With the death of Solomon, the kingship really ceased to be the medium through which God governed his people.

As the scene opens in 1 Kings, we find that “King David was old and well advanced in years”. He was prematurely aged for he was only seventy. Because of David’s feebleness we find a rebellion started against him. Adonijah’s attempt to get his father’s throne was natural because he was the oldest surviving son (2 Samuel 3:4). This rebellion called for prompt action, which Nathan the prophet took. David saw that Solomon was the most fit to succeed him. Solomon was God’s choice (1 Kings 2:15). It was clear that the choice of Solomon was popular (1 Kings 1:39-40). Adonijah soon saw that opposition was useless. Because of this rebellion, Solomon was crowned before David’s death (1 Kings 1:30, 39, 53).

Solomon was a magnificent king; his throne was the grandest the world had ever seen and his life was filled with happenings of marvellous significance. His kingdom of 60000 square miles was ten times as great as that which his father had inherited. God appeared to Solomon in a dream early in his reign and asked him to make a choice of anything that he might wish (1 Kings 2:6-9). Solomon asked for a “discerning heart”. It will be good that we also have a heart that listens to the Spirit’s voice. The greatest undertaking of Solomon’s reign was building the Temple. This was what his father, David, had longed to do. The immense foundation of great hewn stones upon which Solomon’s Temple was built remains till this day under the Dome of the Rock. The Temple site was a historic spot. On Mount Moriah, Abraham offered up Isaac (Genesis 22:2). We saw how David secured Araunah’s threshing floor and here today the Dome of the Rock stands, the sacred spot of the Muslims.

Solomon reigned 40 years, the second great period of the complete kingdom (1 Kings 11). At first all went well, but later there was serious trouble. Saul, David and Solomon each reigned 40 years (2 Samuel 5:4; 1 Kings 11:42). Taxes under Solomon’s reign had weighed the people down. Luxury and Idolatry had broken down their morale. The kingdom now was to be divided. A rise to such prosperity and power as Solomon enjoyed had its dangers. It cost money and meant increased taxation, which grew into burdens that were unbearable and that bred the seeds of unrest and revolution.

When Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, threatened to levy heavier burdens upon the people, his unwise headstrong action added fuel to a fire that had been gathering and burning for nearly 300 years, from the time of the judges. The revolt of the ten tribes immediately followed (1 Kings 12:16), though the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin remained loyal (1 Kings 12:17). This tension led to the appointment of Jeroboam as king of the northern section (1 Kings 12:20).

A new name of great importance appears in the pages of the life of Jeroboam. This young man of low origin had risen to notice because of faithful service and deeds done. The prophet Ahijah made a startling revelation to Jeroboam. “Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says, see I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon’s hand and give you ten tribes” – 1 Kings 11:31.

Solomon was a great and glorious king, but unlike his father, David, Solomon dealt cruelty with his brother Adonijah (1 Kings 2:24-25). His heart, like Saul, was lifted up in pride (1 Kings 10:18-19). He also was led into idolatry by his wives (1 Kings 11).

Things do not happen by accident. There is a cause at the root of every revolution. The event may come as suddenly as an explosion, or as the eruption of a volcano, but somewhere secret causes were at work undermining the structure. I pray that you be careful when taking decisions, because the God who watches will be taking the final call according to your faithfulness towards Him.

House of David - 2 Samuel

The second book of Samuel describes the enthronement of God’s king, David, and the establishment of the “House of David” through which the Messiah, Jesus Christ, should later come. When Christ comes again, He will sit upon the throne of David (Isaiah 9:7; Luke 1:32). This book is occupied with the history of David as king (2 Samuel 5:3). In 1 Samuel we saw the testing days of David. He was called from the sheepfold (1 Samuel 16:11-13), he had victory over Goliath (1 Samuel 17) and he was persecuted by Saul (1 Samuel 18). After the results of Gilboa when both Saul the king and Jonathan his beloved friend lay dead, David naturally desire to know what was to be the next step. So David sought guidance of God (2 Samuel 2:1). This is an important principle we need to implement in our life. When tough decisions come in our way, we need to bow down before God and seek his guidance.

David inquired of God where he should set up his kingdom, and God told him in Hebron. No sooner had David gone up to the city, than the men of Judah came and anointed him king over the house of Judah. The men of Judah who came to meet David were probably the elders of his own tribe. They came to elect him as king, and although he had been anointed privately by Samuel to indicate that God had chosen him, it was natural and necessary to repeat the anointing in public as the outward and visible inauguration of his reign. However, David’s kingship was not acknowledged by all of the people. Abner, the captain of Saul’s army, at once took steps to appoint Saul’s son to take his place. Civil war followed, but finally everything turned to David and he was made king of all Israel. He reigned 40 years in all, including 7.5 years in Hebron over Judah and 33 years in Jerusalem over the whole land.

The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time. David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker (2 Samuel 3:1). The cause of its weakness was that God was against it. The first concern of David when he settled in Jerusalem was bringing up the Ark of Covenant (2 Samuel 6). He called Nathan the prophet and consulted him about building a temple for Jehovah. At first it seemed as though God would let him do this, but God had a different purpose for David (2 Samuel 7:4-17). Under David’s rule Israel reached its high mark. It had been called Israel’s golden age. When Israel was right with God, it was invincible against all odds.

In all of God’s word no chapter is more tragic or fuller of warning for the child of God than 2 Samuel 11. It tells the story of David’s fall. God forgave him but the word says, “The sword will never depart from your house” 2 Samuel 12:10. He reaped just what he had sown. Look over the steps in David’s fall. First, he was idle (2 Samuel 11:1-2). It was the time for a king to go to war, but he was not there. He remained in Jerusalem in the place of temptation. When we don’t do our respective job, there is a chance of sin to come over us. Next, “David sent someone to find out about her” (2 Samuel 11:3). He makes inquiry about this woman and then he took her (2 Samuel 11:4). He brings her to his house. He forgets what is due to the faithful soldier whose wife she is. But the next step is far worse – his sin against Uriah, one of the bravest of his soldiers. He must get rid of him. He makes Joab his confidant in sin, his partner in murder.

Never neglect watching and praying. An hour’s sleep left Samson at the mercy of Delilah. Don’t fool with one sin even in thought. Nathan visited David and charged him with the sin. We read of David’s sincere repentance (Psalm 51). God told David that his child should die because of his sin (2 Samuel 12: 13-32). The death of his child was a grievous sorrow to David, but the living sorrow he endured through his beloved son Absalom is unimaginable. Through a spy system, Absalom did fraud and stole the kingdom from his father. When David left Jerusalem, Absalom gathered his army in Hebron and marched triumphantly into the city. Finally David prepared for battle with Absalom. During the fray, Absalom was caught by his ling hair in the trees of the forest.

After the rebellion was crushed, King David returned to his kingdom. We see yet another sin by David in numbering the people, because God had not told him to. The land was punished with a 3 day pestilence. He gathered great provisions for building the temple and directed his son Solomon to build it. David was only 70 years old when he died.

His great spirit is revealed to us in the psalms that he wrote. But he sinned. The story does not end here, because he repented (Psalm 51). David took a chaotic nation and established a dynasty that was to last to the time of the captivity, a period of more than 450 years. The last verses of 2 Samuel 24:18-25 tell of king David’s buying Araunah’s threshing floor. He erected an alter there. This has special significance, for on this site the great temple of Solomon was later built. On this sacred spot today stands the Dome of the Rock, one of the most important Islamic mosques in the world.

The greatness of your spiritual power is the measure of your surrender. David was a man after God’s own heart – not because of boasted perfection, but because of confessed imperfections. He hid himself in God. May the Spirit of God help you to confess your sins and guide you to live carefully a life of holiness to glorify Christ Jesus.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” – 1 John 1:9.