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.

Royal History

In the Holy Bible, the Royal History begins with the book of Samuel. When Samuel, the prophet of God took charge, the people were in an awful state. They had practically rejected God, and we hear them asking for an earthly king (1 Samuel 8:4-7). This book may be divided under the names of three chief characters –

·         Samuel, the prophet (1 Samuel 1-7)

·         Saul, the king (1 Samuel 8-15)

·         David, the chosen king (1 Samuel 16 – 31)

1 Samuel opens with the record of Hannah, Samuel’s mother, praying for a son whom God could use. Samuel, the last of the judges, was God’s answer to this prayer. We see the cry of Hannah for a child. There are couples who pray for a child. Pray for a child whom you will give back to God to do God’s ministry. According to this chapter, God will answer your request. Samuel brought victory to his people through prayer (1 Samuel 7:5-10). When the nation wanted a king, Samuel prayed unto the Lord (1Samuel 8:6). Intercessory prayer was the keynote of his life (1 Samuel 12:19-23). Whatever the world may give you, a fellowship with God will overpower it. We should not only pray for ourselves, but should do intercessory prayers also. 

Another point we see in chapters 1 to 7 is when Samuel grew into manhood, he took the leadership for which he had been born. We should understand that we are born to serve our God. So we should always know our way which has been shown to us through Christ Jesus. A serious note in these chapters is the people wanted to be like all other nations. God wanted them to be unlike the other nations. You who have accepted Christ as saviour are blessed to do things according to God’s way, so the world can see you and follow, not the other way.

Saul, the first king of Israel was a failure. He was handsome to look at, was tall and a noble man. He started out splendidly. He proved to be an able military leader. He was humble at first, but we find him becoming proud and disobedient to God (1 Samuel 8-15). No man had a greater opportunity than Saul and no man ever was a greater failure. When Saul failed, Samuel was faithful in warning him, then in loneliness he mourned over him (1 Samuel 15:35). In a battle with the Philistines, Saul and his three sons met death. Here a life so full of promise ended in defeat and failure. God sees your heart. Saul tried to defend himself with excuses when sinned, instead of confessing. World may take your excuses, but God sees your heart and knows your intentions.

David, Jesse’s son and the great-grandson of Ruth and Boaz, was born in Bethlehem. He was the youngest of eight sons. When he was only eighteen, God told Samuel to anoint him king to succeed Saul. As a boy he tended his father’s sheep, and we read of his brave deeds in defending them from wild beasts (1Samuel 16-31). One of the most charming stories of friendship is found between David and Jonathan, Saul’s son.

When David was promoted to a high command in the army, his great success roused the jealousy of Saul who determined to kill him. He made five attacks on David’s life (1Samuel 19:10, 15, 20-21, 23-24). But God preserved David. David was delivered from all these dangers. When God is with us, no one can put us down. They may attack us, but cannot win over us. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” – Romans 8:31.  David grew under his trials and afflictions. Instead of letting Saul’s hatred his heart, he returned love for hate. Twice was Saul’s life in David’s hand but both times he spared Saul. After Saul and his sons were killed by the Philistines David’s exile ended.

Saul died on the field of battle by his own hand. Advantages and opportunities in youth never guarantee success in manhood. One must keep true to God. Saul’s undoing was not so much disobedience, as half-hearted obedience (1 Samuel 15). He was a victim of human pride and jealousy. This book teaches us two things. One - Not to have pride. When we have pride, jealousy will arouse the moment we see someone blessed above us. The second thing is to walk close with God and God will take on our enemies and protect us to go ahead in life.

Praying that you chose the second way and go ahead in life to live a testimonial life.

Messianic Family

Ruth was the great-grand mother of David. This book establishes the lineage of David, the ancestor of Christ. It tells of the beginning of the Messianic family within the Messianic nation into which over thousand years later, the Messiah was to be born.

Ruth was a Moabitess. These people were descendants of Lot. They were pagans, worshiping many gods and goddesses. God, in establishing the family that was to produce the world’s Saviour, chose a beautiful pagan girl, led her to Bethlehem where she met Boaz, her “kinsman redeemer”, a relative of Naomi who first made her a family member and then made her his bride. This is God’s grace.

God adopts gentiles into Christ’s family. Even though Ruth was born a pagan, through Naomi, she learned of true God.

Another truth in this book is about Boaz. Boaz was the son of Rahab, the prostitute found in Jericho (Joshua 2). You can see it in the genealogy of Christ Jesus (Mathew 1:5). So we see that David’s great grandmother was a Moabitess and his great grandfather was half Canaanite. This is found in the bloodline of the Messiah.

God called a nation to be his chosen people. But he proved through this book that through faith; even a gentile can become his chosen one. That is why through Jesus Christ, the believers are called New Israel. Whatever blessings God pronounced to his chosen people in the Old Testament are available to the New Israel who is in Christ Jesus.

May God enable you to stay close with Christ Jesus to claim the blessings and companionship which God gave to the chosen one.

Dark Ages

Judges cover the period after the death of Israel’s great leader, Joshua, to the ascension of Saul to the throne. During this time, the people were ruled by Judges whom God raised up to deliver his oppressed people (Judges 17:6). There were 14 judges – Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, Samson, Eli and Samuel.

In Judges 1:1, we see the death of Joshua. Due to their disobedience to God, troubles started and continued in Israel. They did not exterminate the enemies in the land, but rather worshiped the idols of the people and became corrupted in their morals. In Chapter 1 we see a series of disobediences and Chapter 2 we see their defeat and failure. God gave them up to their own will. The children of Israel brought on their own judgement upon themselves and became their own executioners.

God wanted the chosen people to realize that they were a holy people. They must not mix with the wicked nations about them. They must continually separate themselves. God knew that separation makes a people strong. Believers today must remember that they cannot mix with the world. They must keep close to God and war against sin and unrighteousness. God wants every believer to be warriors (Ephesians 6:10-18).

The children of Israel intermarried with the surrounding idolatrous peoples, worshipped at their shrines and practised their values. They went through 7 failures (Judges 3:5 – 16:31). God used Judges to deliver them from these failures.

Last chapters give us a picture of anarchy and confusion. First we see confusion in the religious life of the nation (Judges 17:18). Second we see confusion in the moral life of the nation (Judges 19). Third we see confusion in the political life (Judges 21). The last chapter proves that the children of Israel had lost the way to God’s home, so low that they sunk.

The history of church through the ages has been like this with Martin Luther (1483 – 1546, leader of the Protestant reformation); John Knox (1513 – 1572, Scottish Reformer) and John Wesley (1703 – 1791, Methodist founder) as deliverers.

After reading Judges we may think that the whole of these three of four hundred years was spent in rebellion and sin. But if you read it carefully, you will see that only about one hundred out of these possible 30 years were spent in disloyalty to God.

One thing we learn in this book of Judges is that a people who spend much of their time in disobedience to God make little progress during their life time.

May God enable you to understand the spiritual meaning about this book and help you to be obedient to him to be victorious and prosperous in life.

Good Friday

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