2 Kings 16-19

Click on the Scripture above to read today's text!

We'll do four chapters so that we can see the conclusion of one of the stories we'll read today. As you can see, Israel has fallen into the hands of the Assyrian army and have been led into exile! Only the tribe of Judah in Jerusalem and a few surrounding cities are left. Fortunately, they have a new king by the name of Hezekiah who loves the Lord and, as a result of this Godly leader, God blesses the tribe of Judah and protects the city of Jerusalem in the midst of all this international uprising and chaos that's going on around them.

Here's what we can learn from today's bible reading...

1) God will definitely discipline His own children! We see God "spanking" Israel and exiling the people of Israel to Assyria in 17:6. While God does this, He also offers a specific reason for His action towards His people... 17:7 - "This disaster came upon the people of Israel because they worshiped other gods. They sinned against the Lord their God..."

Here's what they did:
1) vs.7 - They worshiped other gods! For us today, anything that you find more interesting than the Lord, becomes your god!
2) vs. 8 - They followed the practices of the pagan nations! They didn't live like God's people are supposed to live! They lived their lives like people who didn't know the Lord!
3) vs.9 - They secretly did things that didn't please the Lord! On the outside they seemed godly, but secretly they were doing things they knew were wrong!
4) vs.14 - They wouldn't listen to the prophets' warnings! God sent them prophets to warn them of their wicked ways...but they wouldn't listen! Today, we have so many people who go to church but really don't listen and obey the commands of the Lord!
5) vs.17 - They sacrificed their children to other gods! Some religions around the world offer this same practice today! Not too long ago, every major news outlet televised many couples in Asia throwing their children off a high bridge and into the river as a form of sacrificing their children to the gods they worship! How horrible and futile!
6) vs.17 - They consulted fortune tellers and resorted to witchcraft and the worship of Satan! There are many tribes and nations doing the same thing today! We even have Satan worshipers here in America. San Bernadino, California boasts one of the largest churches for Satanic worship in the country.

It was because of ALL these practices that was already going on in the land BEFORE Israel occupied it, that God had the Israelites destroy the people who wouldn't leave and gave it to His own people who would clean it with righteous living and holy worship!

Perhaps the saddest commentary is in verse 18: "Because the Lord was angry with Israel, he swept them away from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah remained in the land."

2) God gives SUCCESS to His faithful ones! Out of chaos comes a bright spot - King Hezekiah of Judah! Finally, Judah gets a king that lives the holy life God was anticipating! As a result, 18:7 says, "So the Lord was with him, and Hezekiah was successful in everything he did." Here's what the Lord loved about Hezekiah:

a) He lived a life that was pleasing to God - 18:3
b) He cleansed the land of spiritual stumblingblocks! - 18:4
c) He completely trusted God like no one before him or after him! - 18:5
d) He remained consistently faithful to God in EVERYTHING he did by obeying every command of God! - 18:6
e) He took action for the glory of God! - 18:7-8
f) He was a man of prayer! 19:15-19

3) God uses the wicked too! Chapter 19 is an astonishing chapter! Over the past several verses we read how Sennacherib had totally conquered and destroyed any and ALL nations that rose up against him. But, he made one major tactical mistake! He received the glory for it! And, God didn't like it!

Notice how God reminds Sennacherib about who's in charge! He responds to Sennacherib by saying, "Who have you been defying and ridiculing? ... But have you not heard? I decided this long ago. Long ago I planned it, and now I am making it happen. I planned for you to crush fortified cities into heaps of rubble. That is why their people have so little power and are so frightened and confused."

God, in His foreknowledge, saw these events! He raised up wicked Sennacherib to punish Israel, just as He raised up Pharoah to enslave Israel and defy God during the days of Moses. Oh yes, God even uses wicked people for His purposes!

Well, that's all for now. Have a wonderful day in the Lord!