2 Kings 14:23–20:21

Jeroboam, king of Israel, the third successor of Jehu, succeeds Joash, his father. "He did evil in the sight of Jehovah: he did not depart from any of the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin" (v. 24). Nonetheless his reign lasted forty-one years! You might think that God always cut off kings at once when their conduct dishonoured Him. This history gives several examples. Such is the case with Zechariah, the son of this same Jeroboam (2 Kings 15:8), but it is not so here. God has other ways, and He knows how to bring them in line with His longsuffering and His mercy.

The increase of Israel's territory under Jeroboam II was considerable; his prosperity in this way corresponding with his name — whose people is many… "The sea of the plain" was the Dead Sea, making the total distance of his kingdom, north and south, almost two hundred miles… He was, no doubt, the "savior" promised under the unfortunate reign of Jehoahaz (2 Kings 13:5)… This was not for any goodness that He saw in them or Jeroboam their king, but "because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" (2 Kings 13:23).

His pity for Israel's oppressed condition guides His ways in Jeroboam's reign… God raises up a saviour for this people in the person of this king who had brought God's displeasure on himself, just as He had done before with Joash his father (2 Kings 13:5).

The reign of this second Jeroboam was longer than that of any other king of Israel. Outwardly it was a time of prosperity, but there were deep-rooted problems.

Israel was blessed with the ministries of both Hosea and Amos during Jeroboam's reign. Their writings make it clear: there was political revival under his rule, but no real moral or spiritual awakening among the people. People saw Amos as a troublemaker who disturbed the peace of the kingdom. Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, told him to flee away to the land of Judah, and "eat bread there, and prophesy there," as if God's prophet were only in it for the money, like himself.

Jonah prophesied about the time of Jeroboam II, king of Israel. He was the witness that "mercy triumphs over judgment." He foretold gracious things for Israel, though the people were still guilty and rebellious.

The prophet Amos, who prophesied in the same period, announced to the house of Israel that Jeroboam's conquests would not last. The Assyrian would take them away. "I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel," declares the LORD, the God of hosts, "and they shall oppress you from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of the Arabah" (Amos 6:14)… Jeroboam had put far away "the day of disaster" (Amos 6:3) by taking back Israel's borders as far as Hamath the great and the sea of the plain. Look, says Amos, that day is near.

Apart from the two exceptions already mentioned, this phrase "Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away" runs like a refrain through the history of the faithful kings of Judah. Another refrain marks the kings of Israel: "He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin." These kings followed the head of their royal house in religious matters, and he was an idolater... But it is always very dangerous to settle into a system that does not seek the mind of God as its source. That stays true even when the system boasts of great antiquity.

Instead of asking God, we read that Jeroboam "took counsel" — clearly of men. The result was the setting up of the two golden calves. One stood at Dan, in the far north. The other stood at Bethel, as a challenge to the God of Jacob. Centuries before, Jacob had declared about that place: "This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." ... Some have argued that Jeroboam was really worshipping the LORD, but with the help of visible images. People urge this today to excuse blatant idolatry. The Bible does not support it. It says plainly: "then this thing became a sin." God does not need an image to enable people to worship Him.

The idolatry of Jeroboam stayed with Israel until they were led into captivity. It was a leading cause of that captivity, as it is written: "And Jeroboam drove Israel from following the LORD and made them commit great sin... They did not depart from them, until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had spoken by all his servants the prophets. And Israel was exiled from their own land to Assyria until this day."

Nonetheless his reign lasted forty-one years! One might think that God always cut off, without delay, the kings whose conduct dishonoured Him. This history gives several examples of it. That is what happened with Zechariah, the son of this same Jeroboam, but it is not so here. God has different ways, which He knows how to reconcile with His longsuffering and His mercy. His pity for Israel in its oppressed state directs His ways concerning Jeroboam's reign. He raises up a saviour for this people in the person of this very king who had incurred His displeasure.

Under the reign of Jeroboam II the northern kingdom of Israel flourished as never before or after. There was great outward prosperity. So we find the prophet mentioning the rich, their great wealth and luxury, their arrogant pride and false sense of security. He also mentions the oppression of the poor. Underneath it all was an awful moral corruption, the fruit of the false worship. In this state of prosperity, immorality and false worship they did not dream of any coming disaster.

Let us note here what is repeated so often in the preceding chapters, that by the sins of their kings, Israel was made to sin. The sin of an individual becomes far more serious when it becomes a stumbling block to others. Its consequences are reckoned to those who carry away the ignorant and the poorly established into the path of their own disobedience.

Jeroboam did evil in the LORD's sight. He did not turn from any of the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin. Even so, his reign lasted forty-one years! One might think, and this history gives several examples, that God always cut off at once the kings whose conduct dishonoured Him. That is the case with Zechariah, the son of this same Jeroboam, but it is not so here. God has different ways which He knows how to reconcile with His longsuffering and His mercy. His pity for Israel's oppressed condition directs His ways concerning Jeroboam's reign… God raises up a saviour for this people in the person of this king who had incurred His displeasure.

"The sea of the plain" was the Dead Sea. So his kingdom stretched almost two hundred miles from north to south. He was, no doubt, the "saviour" promised under the unfortunate reign of Jehoahaz… The Lord saw that Israel's affliction was very bitter, and that no one at all was left to help Israel. He had not said that He would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven. Instead He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash. This was not for any goodness that He saw in them or in Jeroboam their king, but "because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."

The territory of Hamath, the principal city of upper Syria, had at one time belonged to Solomon. Jeroboam's victory restored to Israel "the entrance of Hamath," a very important strategic position. The city of Hamath itself does not appear to have been part of the conquest. But the borders of Israel now ran again from the entrance of Hamath to the Salt Sea, that is, the Dead Sea. Taking this land enlarged Israel's territory at the expense of Judah's, since part of Damascus and of Hamath had once belonged to Judah.

Moreover, it is a selected revelation. It does not record everything God has revealed to His people over these 4000 years. Jonah prophesied of the restoration of the coasts of Israel from the entering of Hamath to the sea of the plain. Scripture records that God's word came true, but it does not keep the words of the prophecy itself… It is a mistake to think that the Bible holds every inspired message the Spirit of God gave to man. We have everything we need to know and to have. We do not have everything the prophets told others at different times.

But the Lord knew that Jonah was a true servant of His, despite his failure. He took care to leave on record a testimony that lets us recognise him as such. This verse calls Jonah Jehovah's servant, whose prophecy He had Himself fulfilled.

Jonah's name means dove. God set him apart for a mission to the Gentiles, and he disliked it so much that this is likely why the religious leaders of Judah forgot that a prophet had arisen out of Galilee (John 7:52). Jonah was born in Gath-hepher, in the northern part of Palestine. He probably lived at the same time as Elisha, or else came right after him. We learn this from 2 Kings 14:25-27, which tells us that Israel enlarged its coasts, taking land back from the Syrians, just as Jonah had predicted. His book is perhaps the earliest prophetic book we have.

You might think — and this history gives several examples — that God always cut short kings whose conduct dishonoured Him... but it is not so here. God has other ways, and He knows how to fit them with His patience and His mercy. His pity for Israel under oppression directs His ways in Jeroboam's reign.

How good that the Lord gives some measure of gracious encouragement to His people, though they are in a pathetic state.

"For the Lord will judge [vindicate, defend or avenge] His people and have compassion on His servants, when He sees that their power is gone and there is none shut up or left." Precious grace for Israel in the days to come — and grace now, for each and for all who feel and own their need!

Jeroboam was, no doubt, the "savior" promised during the unhappy reign of Jehoahaz (2 Kings 13:5). "And the Lord did not say that He would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven. Instead He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash." He did not do this for any goodness He saw in them or in Jeroboam their king. He did it "because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" (2 Kings 13:23).

Jonah's prophecy mentioned here was surely far more to his liking than the message of coming judgment God used him to bring to the people of Nineveh in the book named after him. Both messages came from God, and both show His loving heart. Whether He uses a wicked king to deliver His undeserving people or turns a wicked nation to repentance, He is God and sovereign.

In this passage Jonah appears as a prophet of grace and of a temporary deliverance for Israel.

The prophets are full of this blessed truth. God allowed, and even sent, nation after nation to overcome and discipline His rebellious people. Yet He never gave them up completely. He watched over them with endless tenderness and longing of heart, and He stepped in again and again to help them, for the sake of His own name.

The great prosperity and expansion under Jeroboam II seems to have corrupted the people and led them to give free rein to their evil desires and violence... Those in authority, instead of checking this spirit of lawlessness, found pleasure in it.

You might think God always cut off at once the kings whose conduct dishonoured Him, and this history gives several examples of it. That is what happened with Zechariah, the son of this same Jeroboam. But it is not what happened here. God has other ways, and He knows how to fit them together with His patience and His mercy. His pity for Israel in their oppression guides how He acts in Jeroboam's reign.

He was, no doubt, the "savior" promised under the unfortunate reign of Jehoahaz. … This was not for any goodness that He saw in them or Jeroboam their king, but "because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."

God allowed, and even sent, nation after nation to defeat and discipline His rebellious people. Yet He never wholly gave them up. He watched over them with endless tenderness and longing of heart, and He stepped in again and again to rescue them for His own name's sake.

The prophecy of Jonah mentioned here was surely far more to his liking than the message of coming judgment God gave him for the people of Nineveh. That message fills the book that carries his name. Both messages were equally of God and show His loving heart. Whether He uses a wicked king to deliver His undeserving people or turns a wicked nation to repentance, He is God and sovereign.

Though there was political revival under his rule, there was no real moral or spiritual awakening among the people. People saw Amos as a troublemaker who disturbed the peace of the kingdom. Amaziah the priest of Bethel told him to run off to the land of Judah, "and there eat bread, and prophesy there" — as if God's prophet were nothing more than a hired hand like himself.

Amos prophesied in the same period. He announced to the house of Israel that Jeroboam's conquests would not last long. The Assyrian would capture these from them. … By winning back Israel's borders as far as "Hamath the great" and the sea of the plain, Jeroboam had "put far away the evil day." Look, says Amos, the evil day is near at hand.

Damascus and Hamath were both capitals of two once powerful kingdoms. David had conquered them long before (1 Chron. 18:3-6). Jeroboam won them back for Israel more than one hundred and fifty years after they broke away from Judah. That speaks strongly for the success and power of his armies against those hostile nations on his northern border. Hamath, called "the great" in Amos 6:2, was the chief city of upper Syria and an important strategic point. It commanded the whole valley of the Orontes, which leads to the countries to the south.

Jeroboam's victory restored to Israel "the entrance of Hamath," a very important strategic position. The city of Hamath itself does not seem to have been part of the conquest. But Israel's borders reached again from the entrance of Hamath to the Salt Sea, that is, the Dead Sea (cf. Joshua 3:16). Taking this land enlarged Israel's territory at Judah's expense, for part of Damascus and of Hamath had once belonged to Judah (v. 28).

You might think God always cut off at once the kings whose conduct dishonoured Him, and this history gives us several examples... but it is not so here. God has other ways, and He knows how to fit them with His longsuffering and His mercy. His pity for Israel under oppression shapes His ways in Jeroboam's reign. "For the LORD saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter... and there was none to help Israel. But the LORD had not said that He would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, so He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash" (vv. 26-27).

Jonah's prophecy mentioned here was surely far more to his liking than the message of coming judgment God gave him for the people of Nineveh, in the book named after him. Both messages came from God, and both show His loving heart. Whether He uses a wicked king to deliver His undeserving people or turns a wicked nation to repentance, He is God and sovereign.

Under the reign of Jeroboam II the northern kingdom of Israel flourished as never before or after. There was a great external prosperity. So the prophet mentions the rich, their great wealth and luxury, their arrogant pride and sense of security, and their oppression of the poor. Underneath it all was an awful moral corruption, the fruit of the false worship. In this state of prosperity, immorality and false worship they did not dream of any coming calamity whatever.

Israel was blessed with the ministry of both Hosea and Amos during Jeroboam's reign. Their writings show plainly that there was political revival under his rule, but no real moral or spiritual awakening among the people. People saw Amos as a troubler of the kingdom's peace. Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, told him to flee away to the land of Judah, and "eat bread there, and prophesy there," as if God's prophet were nothing more than a hired man like himself.

These books refer often to the chronicles of the kings of Israel or of the kings of Judah... They have nothing to do with the Word of God. Whatever the Lord did not choose to record or explain is written there. These chronicles are lost... The believer needs none of them; he has God's Word. In God's account he finds all he needs, and God's own assessment of people, events, and things.

The prophet Amos... announced to the house of Israel that Jeroboam's conquests would not be long-lasting. The Assyrian would take them away... By winning back Israel's borders as far as "Hamath the great," Jeroboam had "put far away the evil day" (Amos 6:3)... But, says Amos, the evil day is near. On the eve of ruin, the prince was relaxing, thinking only of his ease (Amos 6:4).

"He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin" (v. 24). Even so, his reign lasted forty-one years! You might think God always cut off kings quickly when their conduct dishonoured Him. This history gives several examples of it. That is what happened with Zechariah, the son of this same Jeroboam (2 Kings 15:8), but it is not so here. God has different ways, which He knows how to reconcile with His longsuffering and His mercy. His pity for Israel's oppressed condition shaped His ways in Jeroboam's reign.

"He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash." This was not for any goodness that He saw in them or in Jeroboam their king, but "because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" (2 Kings 13:23).

Israel was blessed with the ministries of both Hosea and Amos during Jeroboam's reign. Their writings make one thing clear. There was political revival under his rule, but no real moral or spiritual awakening among the people. People looked on Amos as a troubler of the kingdom's peace, and Amaziah the priest of Bethel told him to run away to the land of Judah, "and eat bread there, and prophesy there," as if God's prophet were nothing but a hired man like himself.

Today too, in many countries believers face persecution. They are told what to preach and teach, and which topics they must avoid. In some places people are even trying to have the Bible classified as hate literature, because it presents God's holy standards without compromise.

Scripture records little of this king except that he won striking victories over the Syrians. "He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat." Amos announced his death by the sword.

Amaziah, priest of the calf at Bethel, warns the king that Amos is prophesying against Israel, adding — which was a lie — that he had foretold the violent death of the king. With this slander Amaziah tried to get rid of the prophet and have him sent away to Judah. Amos was competing with him at Bethel, "the king's sanctuary… a temple of the kingdom."

Hosea prophesied under Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Strikingly, he mentions only Jeroboam, king of Israel, and says nothing of his successors, though he prophesied under them too (Hosea 1:1). For him their history seems to stop with Jeroboam. Yet Zechariah, this man's son, was the fourth generation the Lord granted to the house of Jehu (2 Kings 10:30). But Zechariah, the last link in this chain, is in fact already rejected. He reigns only six months. God turns away from him and his successors, just as He said: "I will never again pass by them" (Amos 7:8; 8:2). Hosea says the same: "They made kings, but not through me" (Hosea 8:4).

God's eyes were on "the sinful kingdom" (Amos 9:8) and its sinful kings. From the time of Jeroboam's death, decline set in. Less than seventy years later it ended in the kingdom's final overthrow and dissolution. From this time on prophetic ministry greatly increased. "Such is the way of our gracious God," an unknown writer says, "that when judgment is near, testimony is multiplied."

He is called Azariah (helped by Jehovah) elsewhere. The two names mean so nearly the same thing that either one could be used for him. He seems to have come to the throne, not by ordinary succession, but by the direct choice of the people. The Syrians had destroyed the princes near the end of his grandfather Joash's reign, which left the people a free hand... Their choice of Azariah was a good one, as what followed proved.

Two explanations are usually given: a copying error that confused similar letters, or that he bore two names. Neither one satisfies. The two names do not mean quite the same thing either: Azariah is "Jehovah helps," Uzziah is "My strength is Jehovah." May it not be that Azariah was his real name? And that after his daring intrusion into the sanctuary, when he was struck with lifelong leprosy, his name was changed to the related Uzziah — "My strength is Jehovah" — to mark that the "help" he had received depended on his relation to the LORD?

His was the longest continuous reign of any of the kings of Judah. His mother's name, Jah will enable, might show that she had believing hopes for her son, through the help of God. And she was not disappointed. Scripture says he "did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done" — that is, during the earlier part of his reign.

Eight kings are mentioned in this chapter. Of five it is said they did evil in the sight of the Lord. One was a leper; four were murdered; one committed unspeakable cruelties.

Azariah (Uzziah) reigned for more than half a century. In that time he saw five of Israel's kings die, three of them murdered. There was also a gap of anarchy lasting at least eleven years. This marked contrast is probably what the prophet meant when he wrote, "Ephraim has surrounded me with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit, but Judah still walks with God, and is faithful to the Holy One." This does not mean that all Judah's ways pleased the Lord. It means that, unlike Israel, they still upheld the truth of the LORD as a nation, as given in the law and pictured in the temple's worship and service.

Like the idolatry of Amaziah, the sin of Uzziah, reported in 2 Chronicles 26, is passed over in silence. The reason is clear. The point is to bring out the godliness of the kings of Judah. The account does not weaken it by reporting their faults and inconsistencies. It sets that godliness against the idolatry of the kings of Israel, which cried to the Lord for vengeance.

God blessed Uzziah at the start for his faithfulness. But the enormous success of his career puffed him up. He thought he could take the high priest's place and offer incense on the golden altar himself... His sense of his own dignity and great importance as king led him, the civil ruler, to seize religious authority.

Isaiah was then prophet in Judah. Hosea, Amos and Zechariah were also prophets during his reign... Then follows the statement, "as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper." And this is still true of all God's people.

The usual explanations do not satisfy. Some say a copyist confused similar letters. Others say he simply bore two names. And the two names do not mean quite the same thing. Azariah means "Jehovah helps." Uzziah means "My strength is Jehovah." Could it be that Azariah was his real name? Then came his bold intrusion into the sanctuary (2 Chron. 26:16-20), and leprosy struck him for life. At that point his name may have been changed to the related Uzziah — "My strength is Jehovah" — to mark that the "help" he had received had depended on his relation to the LORD. One fact seems to confirm this. Although 2 Chronicles always calls this king Uzziah, the Hebrew word for "help," which forms the first part of the name Azariah, comes back with marked emphasis in the account of the divine help given in his campaigns (2 Chron. 26:7, 13, 15).

Uzziah was one of the descendants of David who reigned in Jerusalem for fifty-two years. He was crowned king when he was only sixteen. The post carried heavy responsibility, and he was very young for it. Yet he filled it well, because the fear of God was before his eyes. The history tells us that "God helped him." God helped him in such a marked way that we read a second time how "he was marvellously helped, till he was strong" (2 Chron. 26:7, 15).

His was the longest unbroken reign of any king of Judah. Manasseh ruled fifty-five years, but the king of Babylon removed him and carried him off captive, so that reign was broken. His mother's name, "Jah will enable," may show that she had godly hopes for her son, by the help of God. She was not disappointed. Scripture says he "did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah did" — that is, during the earlier part of his reign.

Notice here, in the record of Kings, the part mothers play in how their children turn out. When these mothers come from Judah and Jerusalem, it is rare to see their sons follow the worship of false gods… On the other hand, mothers or wives who served false gods had a harmful influence on the kings… This observation should make Christian mothers realize their responsibility, and should stir them to bring up their children in the fear of the Lord.

The sin of Uzziah, reported in 2 Chronicles 26, is passed over in silence. We have said above that the reason is clear. The point is to bring out the godliness of the kings of Judah. The account does not weaken it by listing their faults and inconsistencies. It sets that godliness against the idolatry of the kings of Israel, which cried to the Lord for vengeance. Here we read only this: "And Jehovah struck the king, so that he was a leper to the day of his death, and lived in a separate house." Kings never gives the cause of his judgment.

Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord. He sought God, and God made him prosper. But in his old age his heart was lifted up, and that ruined him. In his proud presumption he sinned against the Lord God. He died a leper, in his sixty-ninth year.

His was the longest continuous reign of any of the kings of Judah. Of him it is said that he "did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done" — that is, during the earlier part of his reign. "And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper."

God traces Hezekiah's faithfulness back to the example set by David. That is all the more striking, because it is not said of the kings before him. Jotham "did what was right in the sight of Jehovah: he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done" (2 Kings 15:34); Uzziah, "according to all that his father Amaziah had done" (2 Kings 15:3); Amaziah "according to all that Joash his father had done" (2 Kings 14:3). God's Word says the same of Josiah as of Hezekiah (2 Kings 22:2), confirming that these two kings went back to what was there at the beginning.

Walking in a father's steps means, we judge, that the walk was good as far as it went, but it was not godliness, or obedience, of the highest kind. Of both Hezekiah and Josiah we read that David their father was their model. David was the man after God's own heart; Uzziah was not, and to remember this is to see the difference. It is the often-repeated truth, that to see what God's mind is, we must go back to the beginning. Even believers now fall into the same mistake when they make their parents' walk, or indeed the walk of some other Christians whom they admire most, their standard, instead of the walk of the only perfect Example (see 1 John 2:6).

"And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart." "Yet not like David his father; he did according to all that Joash his father did." Just like this is the lack of heart-devotedness in the children of God.

Uzziah follows him and does what is right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father did. That is, he served without a perfect heart in the first part of his reign, and failed openly at the end. The same evil was in Uzziah as in Amaziah; only it showed itself in a different way. Amaziah was lifted up in heart, and then marched straight into defeat and captivity. Uzziah, once he was strong, sinned by going into the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar. How often does prosperity, far more than adversity, test the saints of God!

"And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong. But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction." Of all the words ever set side by side, few are more remarkable than these.

Uzziah is a solemn instance of one walking well until he was "strong," and of one not chosen of God attempting to exercise priestly service. His history shows the truth that "it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." He is called Azariah in 2 Kings 14:21 and 2 Kings 15, and Ozias in Matthew 1:8-9.

"Only," the account adds, "the high places were not removed: the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places" — always the usual refrain for Judah, just as the calves of Jeroboam were for Israel. The prophet Micah refers to these two things to explain God's judgment on His people: "For the transgression of Jacob is all this, and for the sins of the house of Israel. Where does the transgression of Jacob come from? Is it not from Samaria? And where do the high places of Judah come from? Are they not from Jerusalem?" (Micah 1:5).

They were not necessarily connected with idolatry. In fact, at the beginning they were devoted to the true worship of God. To some extent they were places where He Himself in grace recognised the need and met with His people. But this was not according to the proper order which He Himself had provided. Later on He established His centre, placed His name at Jerusalem, and set the temple of His glory there. After that, the worship of the high places was direct disobedience to His will, and it was bound to become more and more connected with the idolatry to which the people were always prone.

Remember, it is not idol worship, but the worship of God in "high places," that I am speaking of. God met these good men, honoured and blessed them, as He does thousands in the systems of today... These godly men had grown up and been educated in the evil. The question of whether it was right had never come up in their consciences. So God blessed and owned their faithfulness up to the light they had... Did He therefore approve, sanction or even overlook the direct breaking of His own word? He has answered this Himself with unmistakable clearness: "Nevertheless the high places were not taken away." Again and again this qualifies the approval He gives to the otherwise faithful acts of His servants. It shows that He never lost sight of the sin, however unaware of it they may have grown up.

A straw in a piece of cast iron is enough to make it break when the right occasion comes. This straw was the keeping of the high places... The kings of Judah did not govern themselves by David their father. They were usually content to take their starting point from the reign of Solomon, who had not abolished the high places. But it is always very dangerous to settle into a system that does not look to the mind of God as its source. That stays true even when the system boasts of great antiquity.

God Himself has provided a Centre where His people can gather. To ignore that Centre, to turn to human thoughts, and to choose places and ways of worship that the word of God does not provide for, is really to worship in the high places. Many do this in complete sincerity, and God, as we said, meets His people in grace according to the measure of their faith.

The sin of Uzziah, reported in 2 Chronicles 26, is passed over in silence. The reason is clear. The aim is to bring out the godliness of the kings of Judah, without weakening it by telling of their faults and inconsistencies, and to set it against the idolatry of the kings of Israel, which cried to the Lord for vengeance. Here we find only, "And the LORD touched the king, so that he was a leper to the day of his death, and he lived in a separate house," with no mention of the cause of his judgment.

Whatever the immediate motive, we know the main cause of his irreverent act. It was pride — the true "original sin," that hideous parent-sin of every sin that follows, whether among angels or among men. "He was marvelously helped, till he was strong. But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction." His name meant "the strength of the LORD." How happy he would have been if he had seen that no one is strong except in His strength.

The thought of his own dignity, of his great importance as king, led him — the civil power — to seize religious authority. This same sin is one of the many features of the Christian world today. The Lord judges Uzziah by striking him with leprosy. He loses the very authority he was so proud of, whose honour he had not given to the Lord, and it passes to his son Jotham years before his death.

He knew that burning incense was the work of the priests alone — a duty and privilege for the sons of Aaron and no one else. The judgment matches his sin. He dared to take the office of the priest and do what the law forbade him. Now, as a leper, he cannot come into the temple. He loses the privilege of an ordinary Israelite, he is cut off from the congregation, and from now on he must live in a separate house. He cannot do his work as king either; in today's language, someone rules as regent in his place.

Perhaps this is written, among other things, to remind us that the very best man on earth — the highest ruler of Judah's kingdom, the most honoured man in the world — stands in the widest contrast with THE KING, THE LORD OF HOSTS. King Uzziah was a leper, and he lived outside the camp. This shows us that sinful man, however high his office and dignity, is unfit for the presence of God. It shows that man has no way at all of cleansing the leprosy of sin. Unless God undertakes to meet him with healing mercy, he must remain unclean.

Jotham ruled as regent over the kingdom after the judgment of God had fallen on his father… So we read, "And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD according to all that his father Uzziah had done, except he did not enter the temple of the LORD." He avoided the folly of his headstrong father.

The sin of Uzziah, reported in 2 Chronicles 26, is passed over in silence... The point is to bring out the godliness of the kings of Judah, without weakening it by an account of their faults and inconsistencies. The contrast is with the idolatry of the kings of Israel, which cried to the Lord for vengeance. Here we find only, "And Jehovah struck the king, so that he was a leper to the day of his death, and lived in a separate house" (v. 5). The text never tells us the cause of his judgment.

We know the primary cause of his irreverent act. It was pride, the truly "original sin," that hideous parent-sin of all the sins that follow, whether among angels or among men (1 Tim. 3:6; Ezek. 28:2, 17). "He was marvellously helped till he was strong. But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction." His name meant "Strength of Jehovah." How happy it would have been for him if he had realised that only in His strength is anyone truly strong.

The Lord judges Uzziah by striking him with leprosy. The priests drive him out of the temple, and he stays shut out from the congregation of Israel until his death. He was so proud of this authority, yet he had not given its honour to the Lord. It passes from him to his son Jotham years before his death. Such human pretension could not be tolerated. Carrying it into the house of God was a terrible defilement. So Uzziah dies, cut off from the blessings of that house. He had disregarded the dignity of the high priesthood — a picture of Christ's — which the Lord had established there.

They would not lay his leprous body in their "Westminster Abbey." They buried him in a field — in the ground, perhaps — next to the tombs of their kings.

We are not told how long he lived after his leprosy broke out. But at his death they buried him among his fathers — at least some recognition of his former faithfulness.

These chronicles were drawn up during the reign of all the rulers of those times, whether Jewish or Gentile. They have nothing to do with the Word of God. What it has not pleased the Lord to record or explain is found there. These chronicles have been lost... The believer needs none of them; he has God's Word. There, in God's account, he finds everything necessary for him, along with God's own assessment of people, events and things.

The chapter tells us that the prophet had this vision of glory "in the year that king Uzziah died." But why is Uzziah brought in like this? May it be, among other things, to remind us of this? The very best man on earth, the highest ruler of Judah's kingdom, the most honoured man in the world, stands in the widest possible contrast with THE KING, THE LORD OF HOSTS. King Uzziah was a leper and lived outside the camp. This shows us that sinful man, however high his office and dignity, is unfit for the presence of God; that man has no resources at all for cleansing the leprosy of sin; and that unless God undertakes to meet him with healing mercy, he must remain unclean and unfit for fellowship with the God of holiness.

Anarchy probably ruled during that period with no king. Hosea prophesied about this time (as regards Israel, see Hosea 1:1), and he seems to refer often to this season of lawlessness and revolution... But God has said next to nothing about this period in between, and we dare not say more. To speculate here would be worse than folly, since God's wisdom has chosen to give us no record of it. Where nothing useful would come of it, He always hides the sins and errors of His people from curious eyes.

Scripture does not give us details about all that happened then. It does show us that despite all that may happen in political affairs to earthly rulers, God is in ultimate control, and He keeps His promises.

Zechariah was the son of Jeroboam II and the fourth and last ruler of the dynasty of Jehu. So the word of the LORD was literally fulfilled (2 Kings 10:30). His reign lasted only six months. Shallum assassinated him in public.

The time had come when God would punish the house of Jehu for the blood shed at Jezreel, and bring the kingdom of the house of Israel to an end (Hosea 1:4). The Lord had kept silent about the blood Jehu shed at Jezreel. He had not spoken of it to anyone — not even to guilty Jehu. God had told Jehu that he had done right in His eyes and would be rewarded (2 Kings 10:30). It might have seemed to Jehu that God approved everything he had done. Far from it! The word of the Lord — "Your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation" — had been carried out as reward. Now His word was being carried out in retribution and in righteous judgment. What a God is ours! Who but He can weigh in the same balance both the acts He approves and those He condemns, to reward and to punish them?

Zechariah's name — Jah has remembered — was strikingly fitting. God did not forget the wholesale slaughter of men — many of them, perhaps, better than their executioner. Though a century had passed, Jah remembered, and the reckoning for blood fell, as it had to, on the fifth and final member of the murderer's line.

Zechariah did not use the time allotted him to repent! His time was soon up. After six months he was openly assassinated "before the people," by Shallum who had "conspired against him."

We are touching the reason for all these acts of violence: each is wanting to seize power for his own gain. When conscience no longer speaks up, sinners are given over to every instinct of their evil nature.

God's eyes were upon "the sinful kingdom" (Amos 9:8), and upon its sinful kings. From the time of Jeroboam's death, decline set in. Less than seventy years later it ended in the kingdom's final overthrow and collapse. From this time on, prophetic ministry greatly increased. "Such is the way of our gracious God," an unknown writer says, "that when judgment is near, then testimony is multiplied."

Zechariah, the last king descended from Jehu, reigns only six months at Samaria. As we have seen, the godly kings of Judah lacked the energy to abolish the high places. Solomon's negligence about this had worked out with disastrous results among his successors, who were used to patterning themselves on the glorious head of their dynasty. The kings of Israel, by contrast, had walked resolutely in the custom set up by Jeroboam I.

Zechariah was the son of the second Jeroboam and he reigned only six months in Israel. He was the fourth in the line of Jehu to reign, and the last, as the Lord had told Jehu.

Jeroboam judged by human wisdom and forgot the fear of Jehovah. He made two golden calves to break the powerful links of a shared worship, so that those links would no longer tie his subjects to Judah and Jerusalem. He had to set up a new priesthood, and he devised everything to do with worship out of his own heart. Israel's sin became an established rule, and the phrase, "Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin," became the sad title of their first king.

The golden calves were a political religion, and it suited the policy of the ten tribes to keep it. Without calves of gold, the ten tribes would have gone back to their allegiance to Jehovah in Jerusalem. The calves were the great means of having another centre. If Jerusalem had been the one centre for the ten tribes as well as for the two, the twelve tribes of Israel would have united. And if they had united in the worship of God, they would have united under the same king. So Jeroboam devised this very crafty scheme to make the split between the two kingdoms clear, wide, and always widening. To make a kingdom he had to make a religion.

Like a death knell, the Spirit marks this man out with the same sad words again and again: "Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin." One chapter alone repeats it four times (2 Kings 15:9, 18, 24, 28). There is something appalling about it. This special repetition marks out how terrible this man's sin is in God's sight. It strikes every true heart with a sense of how awful it is. Personal sins are bad enough, but to turn away God's people from the centre which He has set up — what could be worse?

Zechariah's name — Jah has remembered — was strikingly significant. God did not forget the wholesale slaughter of men, many of them perhaps better than their executioner. Though a century had passed, Jah remembered. He called the fifth and last member of the murderer's line to account for the blood that had been shed.

God's eyes were upon "the sinful kingdom," and its sinful kings. From the time of Jeroboam's death, decline set in. Less than seventy years later it ended in the kingdom's final overthrow and break-up. From this time on, prophetic ministry greatly increased. "Such is the way of our gracious God," an unknown writer says, "that when judgment is near to approach, then testimony is multiplied."

Reference is made quite frequently in these books to the chronicles of the kings of Israel or to those of the kings of Judah. These chronicles were drawn up during the course of the reign of all the sovereigns of those times, whether Jewish or Gentile. They have nothing to do with the Word of God. Whatever the Lord did not choose to record or explain is written there. These chronicles have been lost; perhaps someone will one day find some fragments of them. The believer has no need for any of them; he has God's Word. There in God's account he finds all that is necessary for him as well as the divine evaluation of people, events, and things. Writings that are not inspired may record certain deeds, and record them very exactly. But nothing more than human evaluation ever comes with those deeds.

In various places reference is made to books, which contain more about the life of the king in question, on which the writer may have based his accounts... several times to the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel (1 Kings 14:19; 2 Kings 15:31)... The author of the books of Kings was able to use these "references" under the guidance of the Holy Spirit while writing his God-inspired work.

Zechariah was the son of the second Jeroboam and he reigned only six months in Israel. He was the fourth in the line of Jehu to reign, and the last, as the Lord had told Jehu (ch. 10:30). He continued the evil ways of the kings of Israel before him. Nothing is said in his favour. Then another Israelite, Shallum, conspired against him and killed him in public (v. 10). So Shallum seized the throne for himself.

The people were probably unwilling to have Zechariah succeed his father to the throne. He appears to have been quite unpopular with most of the nation, for Shallum killed him "before the people" without fear. But God has said next to nothing about this in-between period, and we dare not say more. To speculate here would be worse than folly, since God's wisdom has chosen to give us no record of it; and where no useful end is served, He always hides the sins and errors of His people from the gaze of the curious. Dates elsewhere in Scripture do show that such a gap must have come between the end of Jeroboam's reign and the start of his son's, though God has passed over it in silence.

The Lord had kept silent about the blood shed by Jehu at Jezreel... On the contrary, it might have seemed to Jehu that God approved everything he had done. God had said to him, "You have done well in carrying out what is right in My sight," and, I will reward you. Far from it! The Lord had raised him up for judgment and approved him in that. Even so, the time had come when this king's cunning and furious violence must meet their punishment. The Lord's word, "Your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation," had come true as reward. Now the same word was coming true in retribution and righteous judgment. What a God is ours!

Zechariah's name — Jah has remembered — carried a striking meaning. God did not forget the wholesale slaughter of men — many of them, perhaps, better than their executioner. Though a century had passed, Jah remembered. He made the inevitable reckoning for blood with the fifth and final member of the murderer's line.

But if Zechariah's reign was short (6 months), that of Shallum was much shorter — only one month! Those who grasp after power are very soon left powerless. Menahem, the son of Gadi, decided to show Shallum that two could play the game of murdering a king. Notice that in both of these cases the elders of Israel had no spiritual power to choose a man for king who might be a capable and faithful ruler, so a man of violence could seize power for himself. Of course Israel was in such a state of disobedience to God that they would not even consider asking God who should be king.

This murderer was not allowed to live long in his stolen power — only four short weeks — and then he met the just reward of his crime. His name (a very common one in Israel) means repayment, or retribution. He paid back the king before him, and Menahem, the king who followed him, paid him back the same way. It is the old principle of just retribution in kind. The murder of two rulers, Zechariah and Shallum, within half a year speaks loudly of the state of anarchy in the kingdom at that time. It was, as the prophet said, "bloodshed follows bloodshed" (Hosea 4:2).

Here we touch the reason for all these acts of violence: each man wants to seize power for his own gain. When conscience no longer speaks up, sinners are handed over to every instinct of their evil nature.

The murderer occupied the throne only one month. Shallum means "requital." As he did to Zechariah, so Menahem did to him. Israel had abandoned God, and everything was now lawlessness. Turning away from God and from true worship came first. That opened the way for moral corruption and lawlessness. The same is true of this present Christian age.

The great prosperity and expansion under Jeroboam II seems to have corrupted the people and led them to give free rein to their evil desires and violence. Those in authority, instead of holding back this spirit of lawlessness, took pleasure in it.

He seems to have been very busy gaining the throne, and then trying to defend himself against his cruel successor. That is why God does not mention him walking in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. Perhaps he had no time for matters of religion. At any rate, God, who notices even a cup of cold water given for the Lord's sake, has nothing good to record about him!

The Book of Chronicles does not even mention the reign of Shallum, nor in fact the reign of Zechariah in Israel.

Our Lord Jesus stated the principle that "everyone who exalts himself will be humbled" (Luke 14:11). This principle is well illustrated in the lives of these kings. The opposite, "he who humbles himself will be exalted," is most beautifully seen in the life of our Lord Jesus. Philippians 2:5-11 shows us how deeply He humbled Himself and how highly God has exalted Him.

If Zechariah's reign was short (six months), that of Shallum was much shorter — only one month! Those who grasp after power are very soon left powerless. Menahem, the son of Gadi, decided to show Shallum that two could play the game of murdering a king… Notice that in both of these cases the elders of Israel had no spiritual power. They could not choose a capable and faithful man to be king, so a man of violence could seize power for himself. Israel was so disobedient to God that they would not even think of asking Him who should be king.

This assassin was not left long in his stolen power — only four weeks. Then he met the just reward of his crime. His name (a very common one in Israel) means recompense, or retribution. He paid back the king before him, and Menahem, the king after him, paid him back in turn. It is the old principle of God's government — just retribution in kind. Two rulers, Zechariah and Shallum, were murdered within half a year. That says much about the lawless state of the kingdom at the time. It was, as the prophet testified, "bloodshed follows bloodshed" (Hosea 4:2).

Shallum conspired against Zechariah, killed him, and reigned in his place. His crime gained him little, for at the end of a month he fell beneath the blows of Menahem. Here we touch the reason for all this violence: each man wants to seize power for his own gain. When conscience no longer speaks, sinners are handed over to every instinct of their evil nature.

Zechariah, the last king descended from Jehu, reigned only six months at Samaria… Here begins the last stretch of stolen thrones and murders before the ten tribes were carried away. Hosea, the prophet of Israel, had spoken of this time: "All of them are hot as an oven, and they devour their rulers. All their kings have fallen, and none of them calls upon me" (Hosea 7:7)… The Lord had kept silent about the blood Jehu shed at Jezreel. He had not spoken of it to anyone, not even to guilty Jehu. Instead God had said to him, "You have done well in carrying out what is right in my eyes" (2 Kings 10:30). So it might have seemed to Jehu that God approved everything he had done. Far from it!

Menahem, Josephus asserts, and not without reason, was general of the Israelite forces. He came up from Tirzah to kill Shallum. Later he set out "from Tirzah" again — where the main army was most likely posted — on his campaign of slaughter against the city of Tiphsah. Both facts imply as much… His name is found nowhere else in Scripture, and neither is his father's (Gadi, meaning fortunate) — a peculiar and somewhat remarkable circumstance, if not a significant one.

Our Lord Jesus stated the principle that "everyone who exalts himself will be humbled" (Luke 14:11). This principle is well illustrated in the lives of these kings. The opposite, "he who humbles himself will be exalted," is most beautifully seen in the life of our Lord Jesus. Philippians 2:5-11 shows us how deeply He humbled Himself and how highly God has exalted Him.

He seems to have been so busy seizing the throne, and then defending himself against his cruel successor, that God does not mention him walking in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. Perhaps he had no time for religion. At any rate, God, who notes even a cup of cold water given for the Lord's sake, has nothing good to record about him!

Zechariah's reign was short (6 months), but Shallum's was much shorter — only one month! Those who grasp after power are very soon left powerless… Notice that in both cases there was no spiritual power among the elders of Israel. They could not choose a king who might be a capable and faithful ruler, so a man of violence could seize power for himself… The Book of Chronicles does not even mention the reign of Shallum, nor the reign of Zechariah in Israel. So verse 15 does not refer to the Book of Chronicles in the Bible, but to another book that is not Scripture.

Men wrote these chronicles during the reigns of all the rulers of those times, whether Jewish or Gentile. They have nothing to do with the Word of God. They hold what the Lord did not choose to record or explain. These chronicles have been lost… The believer needs none of them; he has God's Word. In God's account he finds everything he needs, along with God's own assessment of people, events, and things. Writings that are not inspired may record certain deeds, and even record them very exactly. But nothing more than human judgment ever goes with those deeds.

This assassin did not live long in the power he had stolen — only four short weeks — and then he met the just reward of his crime. His name (a very common one in Israel) means recompense, or payback. As he paid back the king before him, so Menahem, the king after him, paid him back. This is the old principle of God's government: repayment in kind.

Another principle the Lord laid down is that "all who take the sword will perish by the sword" (Mt. 26:52). We see this in these kings too. How sad that God's records mark out a Shallum only for the conspiracy he made! He killed the king before him in the open, took his place on the throne, and a month later met the same violent end himself. Let it warn us, and let us turn from this king's example!

We are touching the reason for all these acts of violence: each is wanting to usurp power for his own gain. When conscience no longer speaks up, sinners give themselves over to every instinct of their evil nature.

It is an evil man who gives in to a spirit of revolt. Rebellion is hateful to God, and His Word never excuses it. Life on earth offers a constant supply of chances, so such a man "seeks only rebellion." It gives him an unhappy sense of importance, and vanity cannot resist that. But God is not mocked… and a "cruel messenger" will surely be "sent against him." Even now there is moral government.

Josephus says, with good reason, that Menahem was general of the forces of Israel. He came up from Tirzah to kill Shallum. He then set out "from Tirzah" — where the main army probably lay — on his campaign of slaughter against Tiphsah. All of that implies as much... Tiphsah was originally one of Solomon's north-eastern border cities, on the Euphrates (1 Kings 4:24). Israel no doubt won it back under Jeroboam II. It was probably in revolt when the war-king Menahem attacked it so cruelly... By treating the people of Tiphsah so brutally, he most likely hoped to strike terror into all who might oppose his hold on the crown.

Shallum plotted against Zechariah, killed him, and ruled in his place. His crime did him little good, for at the end of a month he fell beneath the blows of Menahem. We are touching here the reason for all these acts of violence: each one wants to seize power for his own gain. With conscience no longer raising its voice, sinners are given up to all the instincts of their evil nature.

Israel never held all the land on the west side of the Euphrates River. Even so, Menahem attacked Tiphsah, on the west bank of that river. The people did not surrender, so he treated them with cruel violence. The record makes a point of noting that he ripped open all the pregnant women, which clearly caused the death of both mother and child. Though the Lord had before ordered the destruction of all the Canaanites, He certainly did not suggest any such cruelty as this.

When Tiphsah refused his authority he carried out a terrible, barbaric punishment. "All the women in it who were pregnant he ripped open." And God in His eternal justice permitted the same punishment to fall upon Samaria (Hosea 13:16; Amos 1:13).

The story of cruel Menahem takes us another step downward in the history of Israel. God emphasises the self-seeking character of this wicked king. Because they did not open their gates to him, he attacked Tiphsah and everyone in that city and its surrounding area... What a contrast to that One who "comes with might, and His arm rules for Him... He will tend His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs in His arms; He will carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young" (Isa. 40:11). What a glorious day to look forward to!

Apart from the two exceptions already mentioned, this word "Only, the high places were not removed" runs like a refrain through the history of the faithful kings of Judah. Another refrain marks out the kings of Israel: "He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin." These kings ordered their conduct in religious matters by the example of the head of their royal house, who was an idolater… But it is always very dangerous to fit yourself into a system which, even when it boasts of great antiquity, does not seek the mind of God as its source.

Jeroboam is a cunning politician. He sets up one calf at Bethel, on the boundary with Judah, and the other at Dan, the northern frontier of his territory. He shapes his worship after the form of worship that the law of Moses commanded. "A house of high places" takes the place of the temple. "Priests from all classes of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi" take the place of the Levitical priesthood. Israel had its Feast of Tabernacles, so Jeroboam also set up a feast, but a month later… All this "he had devised of his own heart"!

Jeroboam stands out in the Old Testament as the great division maker. Under him the great mass of God's people, ten of the twelve tribes, broke away from God's centre at that time. Like a death knell, the Spirit repeats these sad words about this man again and again: "Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin." In one chapter alone these solemn words come four times (2 Kings 15:9, 18, 24, 28)… Personal sins are bad enough, but to turn away God's people from the centre which He has set up — what could be worse?

Threatened by the even stronger might of the Assyrian king, Menahem bought him off with a huge quantity of silver. He meant by this to strengthen his own hold on the kingdom too. Yet, just as with politicians today, the money did not come out of his own pocket. Scripture points out that he "exacted" the money from Israel, forcing every wealthy man in Israel to contribute… After reading of such callous, cruel treatment of his subjects, we are not surprised to read that Menahem did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. All his days he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam.

Menahem reigned ten years (v.17). We may wonder why God allowed him this long a reign. He was just as bad a king as Zechariah and Shallum before him. But God does not always explain His reasons for such things, and we are wise to give Him credit for knowing well what He is doing.

The idolatry of Jeroboam remained with Israel until they were led into captivity, and it was an outstanding cause of that captivity. As it is written, "Jeroboam drove Israel from following the LORD, and made them sin a great sin… they did not depart from them, until the LORD removed Israel out of His sight, as He had spoken by all His servants the prophets."

Here Scripture mentions the Assyrian for the first time. He is the power God used to carry out judgment on the Kingdom of Israel… A huge tribute (almost two million dollars) held the Assyrian back.

Painstaking research has proved beyond doubt that Pul and Tiglath-pileser II are the same person. The Assyrian monuments bear witness to this fact. The records of Tiglath-pileser say that he received tribute from "Minikhimmi Samirina" — that is, Menahem the Samaritan. Pul was clearly one name of the Assyrian ruler, and later he took the title of Tiglath-pileser II.

If we keep simply to the letter of Scripture, we are led instead to see Pul, king of Assyria, as a separate person. This is what 1 Chronicles 5:26 tells us: "So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, the spirit of Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and he took them into exile…" Verse 29 of our chapter credits the carrying away of the tribes beyond the Jordan to Tiglath-pileser. Verse 19 shows Pul coming against Israel, but an immense tribute of silver sways him into becoming the protector of the king of Israel.

This showed how far Israel had departed from the living God, when their king gave money to a foreign king so that he might keep his kingdom.

Menahem faced the threat of an even stronger Assyrian king. He bought him off with a huge quantity of silver, meaning by this to strengthen his own hold on the kingdom too. Yet, just as with politicians today, the money did not come out of his own pocket. Scripture points out that he "exacted" the money from Israel, forcing every wealthy man in Israel to contribute. What a contrast to the One of whom the psalmist prophesied, "I will abundantly bless her provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread" (Ps. 132:15).

In the end, what was the use of all the politics and the hunt for alliances and protection, turning now toward Assyria, then toward Egypt? Did they delay the decreed judgment for one moment? And it is the same in our own day, is it not? Nations try to get guarantees from one another. These will all blow away like chaff in the wind when "the Lamb who was slain" steps forward to take the book of God's counsels and ways toward the world and carry it out.

Even one of Jeroboam's calves was carried to Assyria as a present for its king! What a shame for Israel! Their god given to the enemy of their race as a common present! That too was of the Lord.

Menahem did not die a violent death, so his son Pekahiah reigned in his place. God's government does not repay Menahem. His case, like many others in this history, teaches us that God's government on earth is not the measure of His righteousness. Nor is it His full repayment of the ways of men. This was the mistake of Job's friends, against whom Elihu rose up in anger.

The king of Assyria was stronger still. When he threatened Menahem, Menahem bought him off with a huge amount of silver. He meant this to strengthen his own hold on the kingdom too. Yet, just as with politicians today, the money did not come out of his own pocket. Scripture points out that he "exacted" the money from Israel. He forced every wealthy man in Israel to contribute. What a contrast to the One of whom the psalmist prophesied, "I will abundantly bless her provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread" (Ps. 132:15).

Menahem's bribe to the Assyrian king was money exacted from the people of Israel, especially from the wealthy. They would no doubt rather give this than have Assyria reduce the whole nation to poverty.

If we keep simply to the letter of Scripture, we are led instead to see Pul, king of Assyria, as a distinct person. This is what 1 Chronicles 5:26 tells us: "And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria."

The most painstaking research has proved, beyond the possibility of a doubt, that Pul is Tiglath-pileser II. The Assyrian monuments bear witness to this fact… The annals of Tiglath-pileser record that he received tribute from "Minikhimmi Samirina" — this is Menahem the Samaritan.

At this time Pul, the Assyrian king, came against the land. Menahem bribed him with a thousand talents of silver to keep him from attacking Israel. In these histories of the kings, this is the first we read of the king of Assyria. But not many years later Tiglath Pileser, king of Assyria, took some of Israel captive (2 Kings 15:29). A few years after that (ch. 17:5-6) the Assyrians took the rest of Israel captive.

In the end, what was the use of all the politics, the hunt for alliances and protection, turning now to Assyria, then to Egypt? Did they delay for one instant the judgment that had been decreed? And it is the same in our own day, is it not? Nations seek guarantees from one another. These will all blow away like chaff in the wind when "the Lamb that was slain" steps forward. He takes the book of God's counsels and ways toward the world, and He carries it out.

Chastening did not lead them to God, but to the Assyrian: could he heal or cure? It was bad enough to be treacherous to God. It was worse that they had to expose their godlessness and unbelief by turning to the stranger… It is a distress when the children of God behave badly among themselves. But it is an awful thing when there is no shame in seeking the resources of the world that hates them.

Menahem did not die a violent death, and his son Pekahiah reigned in his place. God does not bring His retributive government to bear on Menahem. His case, like many others in this history, teaches us that God's government on earth is not the measure of His righteousness. Nor is it His full recompense of the ways of men.

Israel never had all the land on the west side of the Euphrates River. Even so, Menahem attacked Tiphsah, on the west bank of the Euphrates. The people there did not surrender, so he treated them with cruel violence. Scripture makes a point of noting that he ripped open all the pregnant women, which clearly killed both mother and child. The Lord had earlier ordered the destruction of all the Canaanites, but He certainly never called for cruelty like this.

This is the first mention of the dreaded "Assyrian" in Scripture. Experts on Assyria do not fully agree about who this "Pul" of Scripture was. Where the wise cannot agree among themselves, we must not even offer an opinion. We will pass on to what is beyond doubt: his invasion of the land, and the enormous price Menahem paid for peace.

Threatened by the even greater power of the Assyrian king, Menahem bought him off with a huge quantity of silver. He meant this to strengthen his own hold on the kingdom too. Yet, just as with politicians today, the money did not come out of his own pocket. Scripture points out that he "exacted" the money from Israel. He forced every wealthy man in Israel to contribute. What a contrast to the One of whom the psalmist prophesied, "I will abundantly bless her provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread" (Ps. 132:15).

In the end, what was the use of all the politics, and the search for alliances and protection, turning now to Assyria, then to Egypt? Did any of it delay the judgment already decreed, even for an instant? And it is the same in our own day, is it not? The guarantees nations seek to get from one another will all blow away like chaff in the wind. That will happen when "the Lamb that was slain" steps forward to take the book of God's counsels and ways toward the world, and to put it into effect.

People drew up these chronicles during the reigns of all the rulers of those times, whether Jewish or Gentile. They have nothing to do with the Word of God. What the Lord did not choose to record or explain is recorded there. These chronicles have been lost. The believer has no need of any of them; he has God's Word. There, in God's account, he finds all that is necessary for him, as well as the divine evaluation of people, events, and things. Men of God, prophets and seers, could be used to draw up these chronicles, yet these writings are still not the inspired Word of God. Amid the ruin and disappearance of these things, the Word of God remains — the only monument, the only document that cannot be shaken!

"Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?" Yes — and they, with the wicked acts recorded here, are written in God's books above. God's record is not just "the chronicles of the kings of Israel." It is a record of the deeds and doings of every person's life, whether good or evil. Solemn facts for us all!

Though he probably reigned as nothing more than a military dictator, he clearly died in peace, as the expression "slept with his fathers" implies. "His fathers" also implies that he was an Israelite, even though his name Menahem does not sound like Hebrew.

Menahem did not die a violent death, so his son Pekahiah reigned in his place. God does not bring His punishing government against Menahem. His case, like many others in this history, teaches us something. God's government on earth is not the measure of His righteousness. Nor is it His full repayment of the ways of men. This was the error of Job's friends, and Elihu was angry with them.

The Assyrian king threatened him with even greater might, so Menahem bought him off with a huge amount of silver. He also intended this to strengthen his own hold on the kingdom. Yet, just as with politicians today, the money did not come out of his own pocket. Scripture points out that he "exacted" the money from Israel, forcing every wealthy man in Israel to contribute. What a contrast to the One of whom the psalmist prophesied, "I will abundantly bless her provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread" (Ps. 132:15). When we read of such callous, cruel treatment of his subjects, we are not surprised to read that Menahem did evil in the LORD's sight, and that he never turned away from the sins of Jeroboam as long as he lived.

In the end, what was the use of all the politics and the search for alliances and protection, turning now toward Assyria, then toward Egypt? Did they delay God's decreed judgment for one moment? And it is the same in our own day, is it not? Nations look for guarantees from one another. All of them will vanish like chaff blown away by the wind. For "the Lamb who was slain" will step forward, take the book of God's plans and dealings with the world, and carry them out.

Pekahiah's killer was his own officer Pekah, with two of his followers and a company of fifty men from Gilead. They killed the king in his very palace, so bold were they. His name, Jah has observed, implies that God had looked upon the murder of Shallum by his father Menahem, and in the death of Pekahiah his son requited it (2 Chron. 24:22). His name, like his father's and grandfather's, does not occur anywhere else in Scripture.

Notice here what the earlier chapters repeat so often: the sins of their kings made Israel sin. One person's sin becomes far more serious when it trips up others. Its consequences are charged to those who drag the ignorant and the unsettled into the path of their own disobedience.

Menahem did not die a violent death, so his son Pekahiah reigned in his place. God's government did not repay Menahem for what he did. His case, like many others in this history, teaches us that God's government on earth is not the measure of His righteousness. It is not His full repayment of the ways of men either. This was the error of Job's friends, and Elihu rose up against them in anger.

His name means "Jah has observed." It implies that God had looked on the murder of Shallum by his father Menahem, and that He repaid it in the death of Pekahiah his son. His name, like his father's and grandfather's, does not occur anywhere else in Scripture.

Azariah (Uzziah) reigned for more than half a century. In that time he saw five of Israel's kings die, three of them murdered. He also saw a gap of anarchy that lasted at least eleven years. This marked contrast is probably what the prophet meant when he wrote, "Ephraim surrounds Me with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit, but Judah still walks with God, and with the holy things of truth" (Hosea 11:13, in an older translation). This does not mean that everything Judah did pleased the Lord. It means that, unlike Israel who had abandoned Him, they still held to the truth of the Lord as a nation. That truth was given in the law and pictured in the temple's worship and service.

Judging by human wisdom and forgetting the fear of the Lord, he made two golden calves. He wanted to break the strong links of a shared worship, so that his subjects would no longer be tied to Judah and Jerusalem. He had to set up a new priesthood. He invented everything to do with worship out of his own heart. Israel's sin became a fixed rule, and the phrase "Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin," became the sad title of their first king.

During the two years of his reign, Pekahiah, like all his predecessors, kept on in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. Notice here what is repeated so often in the earlier chapters: by the sins of their kings, Israel was made to sin. One person's sin becomes far more serious when it turns into a stumbling block for others. Its consequences are charged to those who carry away the ignorant and the poorly grounded into the path of their own disobedience.

Nineteen kings reigned from the great split to the deportation to Assyria. Only seven died natural deaths (Baasha, Omri, Jehu, Jehoahaz, Jehoash, Jeroboam II, and Menahem). Seven were murdered (Nadab, Elah, Joram, Zachariah, Shallum, Pekahiah, and Pekah). One killed himself (Zimri). One died of wounds received in battle (Ahab)... To this telling list of facts we must add two long periods of anarchy, when "there was no king in Israel."

Although we are now at the seventeenth king of Israel, all of them evil in varying degrees, we see that God has not changed His standards. Sometimes we feel that age and long use can turn what God calls bad into something good and acceptable. The standards of society change, and with them even the rulings of our court systems. But God does not change. Nor will He ever alter His standards to accommodate our ever-changing ideas. He is absolutely holy and righteous.

Pekahiah did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam. In presenting His divine assessment in these words, God shows that He was looking for Israel's kings to actively turn away from the sins of their predecessor, Jeroboam. "Cease to do evil, learn to do good" (Isa. 1:17) is the divine principle by which He expects us to act. The New Testament says the same to us. Each of us must withdraw from iniquity and purify ourselves from vessels that dishonour our Lord (2 Tim. 2:19-21 margin). We must do this if we want to be vessels for honour, useful to the Master, ready for every good work. Non-participation in evil is not enough. God demands clear-cut separation from it.

Jeroboam stands out in the Old Testament as the great division maker. Under him the great mass of God's people, ten of the twelve tribes, broke away from God's centre at that time. The Spirit marks this man out with sad words that come again and again, like a death knell: "Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin." One chapter alone solemnly repeats it four times (2 Kings 15:9, 18, 24, 28). There is something appalling about it. This special way of speaking shows how terrible the man's sin was in God's sight. It strikes every true heart with a sense of how awful it is. Personal sins are bad enough, but to turn away God's people from the centre which He has set up — what could be worse?

Almost as soon as Jeroboam took the throne of Israel he turned to idolatry. He made two golden calves and set them up at Bethel and Dan... Jeroboam's idolatry stayed with Israel until they went into captivity. It was an outstanding cause of that captivity, just as Scripture says: "Jeroboam drove Israel from following the LORD and made them sin a great sin... they did not depart from them, until the LORD removed Israel out of His sight, as He had spoken by all His servants the prophets. So Israel was exiled from their own land to Assyria until this day" (2 Kings 17:21-23).

During the two years of his reign, Pekahiah, like all his predecessors, persisted in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. Let us notice here what is repeated so often in the earlier chapters: that by the sins of their kings, Israel was made to sin. One person's sin becomes far more serious when it turns into a stumbling-block for others. Its consequences are charged to those who pull the ignorant and the unsettled into the path of their own disobedience.

His name, Jah has observed, implies that God had observed the murder of Shallum by his father Menahem. Then, in the death of Pekahiah his son, God repaid it (2 Chron. 24:22).

Pekahiah continued the wearying list of godless kings in Israel. He reigned only two years and kept up the idolatry that Jeroboam the son of Nebat had introduced. The record holds nothing to his credit. One of his officers, Pekah the son of Remaliah, conspired with others to kill him.

His death ended the seventh dynasty of the kings of Israel.

Verse 26 tells us that the rest of the acts of Pekahiah are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. But again, this is not the scriptural Book of Chronicles. Pekahiah is not even mentioned there.

These chronicles were written during the reigns of all the rulers of those times, whether Jewish or Gentile. They have nothing to do with the Word of God. They hold what the Lord did not choose to record or explain. These chronicles have been lost; perhaps someone will one day find some fragments of them. The believer has no need for any of them; he has God's Word. In God's account he finds everything he needs, along with God's own evaluation of people, events, and things.

Pekahiah did evil in the sight of the Lord. He departed not from the sins of Jeroboam. God gives His verdict in these words, and it shows what He was looking for. He wanted Israel's kings to make a real break from the sins of Jeroboam, the king before them. "Cease to do evil, learn to do good" (Isa. 1:17) is the divine principle by which He expects us to act. The New Testament calls each of us to do the same. We are to turn away from wrongdoing, and to separate ourselves from vessels that dishonour our Lord. Only then are we vessels for honour, useful to the Master, ready for every good work. Non-participation in evil is not enough. God demands clear-cut separation from it.

We are now at the seventeenth king of Israel, and all of them were evil in varying degrees. Yet God has not changed His standards. The norms of society change, and with them even the rulings of our court systems. But God does not change. He will never alter His standards to fit our ever-changing ideas. He is absolutely holy and righteous.

The man who killed Pekahiah was his own captain, Pekah, helped by two of his followers and a company of fifty Gileadites. These Gileadites seem to have been a rough, wild class, something like Hebrew highlanders, ready in Pekahiah's day for any kind of crime. They were so bold that they killed the king in his own palace. His name means Jah has observed. It implies that God had seen the murder of Shallum by his father Menahem, and that He repaid it in the death of Menahem's son Pekahiah. His name, like his father's and grandfather's, does not occur anywhere else in Scripture.

"Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?" Yes, they are. And they, along with the wicked acts recorded here, are written in God's books above. Those books are not merely chronicles of the kings of Israel. They hold the deeds and doings of every life, whether good or evil. Solemn facts for us all!

Pekah, the son of Remaliah, helped in his conspiracy by men of Gilead, kills Pekahiah along with two of his companions. He reigns twenty years in Samaria, and toward the Lord he follows the way of the kings of Israel. Verse 29 sums up the results of his reign. Tiglath-Pileser the Assyrian comes up against him. He carries away captive the Reubenites, the Gadites, and that half tribe of Manasseh — all the people settled beyond the Jordan.

Pekah was killed by Hoshea, in what is called the 20th year of Jotham, that is, the 4th year of Ahaz, which would have been the 20th of Jotham.

How painfully this often-repeated testimony, like a sad refrain, falls upon the ear! But this is the last time. Under Hoshea, Pekah's killer and successor, God "put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel" (Hosea 1:4). And he, though he did wrong, did it "not as the kings of Israel who were before him" (2 Kings 17:2).

During the twenty years Pekah reigned there were major changes in Israel's situation. Assyria's mighty warrior kings conquered the northern and eastern parts of the land and deported their people to Assyria. Threatened by Assyria, Israel and Syria became allies and sought to overthrow the house of David in Judah. They did so because Ahaz, the wicked king of Judah, had become a payer of tribute to Assyria and was leaning on its king for help against these enemies.

Pekah joined Rezin king of Damascus in an unprovoked and cowardly attack on Jerusalem. Then the king of Assyria invaded and devastated his land. That was his just reward for his "fierce anger" and "evil counsel" against the house of David, which he sought to overthrow by conspiracy and revolution.

His name means watch. It comes from a root meaning "to open" (as the eyes), and by extension, to be observant. But watch as he might, the very friend he trusted became his killer, in God's ordering. It is impossible for the wicked to escape the punishment they deserve from the hand of Him who has said, "Vengeance is Mine; I will repay."

The breaking up of the kingdom of Ephraim begins with the tribes that had chosen their portion on the other side of the Jordan for their own convenience. It is always so. Some Christians never take their stand firmly, and without a backward glance, on the ground where the death of Christ stands between them and the world like the Jordan — a barrier they cannot cross. Those Christians are the first the enemy attacks. They become the poor captives of the world, because, for all their real faith, they have not agreed to break with it completely.

Jeroboam stands out in the Old Testament as the great division maker. Under him the great mass of God's people, ten of the twelve tribes, broke away from God's centre at that time. The Spirit marks out this man with sad words that come back again and again, like a death knell: "Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin." This single chapter alone repeats it solemnly four times (2 Kings 15:9, 18, 24, 28). There is something appalling about it. Personal sins are bad enough. But to turn God's people away from the centre He has set up — what could be worse?

Judging by human wisdom and forgetting the fear of Jehovah, he made two golden calves. He wanted to break the strong links of a shared worship, so that they would no longer hold his subjects to Judah and Jerusalem. He had to set up a new priesthood. He devised everything to do with worship out of his own heart. Israel's sin became an established rule, and the phrase "Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin" became the sad description of their first king.

Notice here what the earlier chapters repeat so often: the sins of their kings made Israel sin. A person's sin becomes far more serious when it trips others up. Its consequences count against those who drag the ignorant and the unsteady into the path of their own disobedience.

How painfully this often-repeated testimony, like a sad refrain, falls on the ear! But this is the last time. Under Hoshea, Pekah's killer and successor, God made "to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel" (Hosea 1:4). And he, though he did wrong, did not do it "as the kings of Israel that were before him" (2 Kings 17:2).

The Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser comes up against him. He carries away captive the Reubenites, the Gadites, and that half tribe of Manasseh, all the people settled beyond the Jordan… The breaking up of the kingdom of Ephraim begins with these tribes. For their own convenience, they had chosen their portion on the other side of the Jordan.

His name, meaning watch, comes from a root meaning "to open" (as the eyes); figuratively, to be observant. But watch as he might, his very friend, the man he trusted, became his killer in God's ordering. It is impossible for the wicked to escape the punishment they deserve. It comes from the hand of Him who has said, "Vengeance is Mine; I will repay."

In 2 Kings 15:29 there is another reference to Israel. Tiglath-pileser took Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh and Hazor, which are all in the north on the west of the Jordan. But then comes Gilead, which is on the east, and this may be meant to include the two and a half tribes. Then Galilee with all the land of Naphtali follows, again in the north on the west. So this may be a summary of everything this king carried away captive to Assyria.

It seems Pekah had not followed this rule of submission to Assyria, as Menahem had. That would explain the political reasons for carrying these tribes away. The Word does not give us those political reasons, but Chronicles points to the divine reason in a word: "And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tiglath-pileser … and he carried them away."

This happened after Pekah's unprovoked and cowardly attack on Jerusalem, together with Rezin king of Damascus. The king of Assyria invaded and devastated his land. That was his just reward for his "fierce anger" and "evil counsel" against the house of David, which he tried to overthrow by conspiracy and revolution.

The dismemberment of the kingdom of Ephraim begins with the tribes which, for their own convenience, had chosen their portion on the other side of the Jordan.

It is always so. Some Christians never step firmly, and without a backward glance, onto the ground where the death of Christ stands like the Jordan — a barrier between them and the world that cannot be crossed. Those Christians are the first to face the attacks of the enemy. They become the poor captives of the world, which, despite their real faith, they have not been willing to break with completely.

The cities of the north, and some of those on the other side of Jordan, are the first to be led captive by the king of Assyria.

This marks the beginning of the end.

About B.C. 740 Tiglath-pileser carried away captive all the inhabitants of Naphtali. No doubt foreigners then settled the district. When the captivity of Israel was complete, they would be able to spread southward. So we get the term 'Galilee of the Gentiles,' or nations, which does not appear until Isaiah 9:1. Matthew 4:15 quotes the prophecy.

Let the hand of oppression press on them harder than ever. There would still be this difference — and our Lord's first coming among them proved it! — that a great light would spring up among the darkest and most despised in the land. It was in Galilee, not Jerusalem, that the grace of Jesus shone.

He killed in his "fierce anger" one hundred thousand Jews in one day (2 Chronicles 28:6); and God repaid him in kind. He had shed man's blood by treachery, so by treachery a man shed his blood too.

Josephus says Hoshea was "a friend" of Pekah's. In his death the prophecy of Isaiah (Isaiah 7:16) was fulfilled. His name, meaning watch, comes from a root meaning "to open" (as the eyes); figuratively, to be observant. But watch as he might, his very friend in whom he trusted became, in God's ordering, his slayer. It is impossible for the wicked to escape the punishment they deserve from the hand of Him who has said, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay."

The prophetic announcement that such a child would be born was present evidence to faith. Whatever schemes men might make, the remnant could count on God... "For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted" ... And before this child could have grown up, Hoshea had killed Pekah, and the king of Assyria had taken Damascus and killed Rezin.

The margin has explained the gap as a time with no king at all. That is substantially right, because Scripture says Hoshea reigned nine years. Yet he begins to reign in the twelfth year of Ahaz, while Pekah was killed in the third year of Ahaz. That is because Ahaz began in the seventeenth year of Pekah, and Pekah reigned twenty years... What Hoshea's position was, this man said to reign in place of the Pekah he killed, I do not know. That is why I say "substantially."

We have no way of knowing why there was this gap with no king, or how the time was spent... But God's word has recorded Hoshea's wickedness like this: "he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him."

Hoshea was the nineteenth and final king of the northern kingdom, Israel. Scripture tells us that he reigned in Pekah's place, but gives us two different dates for when his reign began. Apparently he had trouble securing his hold on the fast-sinking kingdom, or perhaps he had to have his right to rule approved by the powerful Assyrians. At any rate, his rule was only that of a vassal to the Assyrian king.

Scripture does not reveal what finally became of Hoshea. He may be the king meant in the prophet's poetic words, "Samaria's king shall perish like a twig on the face of the waters" (Hosea 10:7). His name means deliverer, and may have a prophetic meaning. It would be a gracious reminder to the now long-scattered nation of that great "Deliverer" who "will come from Zion" (God's grace) and will "banish ungodliness from Jacob." And then, and so, "all Israel will be saved" (Romans 11:26).

Prophecy always comes at a time of ruin... A time of evil is not necessarily a time of evil for the people of God. It is evil for those who are false; it is evil for those who would take advantage. But a time of evil is a time when God works especially for the blessing of those who may have failed. So let no one use the ruin around them as an excuse.

These books often refer to the chronicles of the kings of Israel, or to those of the kings of Judah. Those chronicles were drawn up during the reigns of all the rulers of that time, whether Jewish or Gentile. They have nothing to do with the Word of God. Whatever it has not pleased the Lord to record or explain is written down there. These chronicles have been lost; perhaps someone will one day find fragments of them. The believer needs none of them; he has God's Word. In God's account he finds everything he needs, and God's own assessment of people, events, and things.

Several times the writer refers to the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel (1 Kings 14:19; 2 Kings 15:31)... The author of the books of Kings was able to use these "references" under the guidance of the Holy Spirit while writing his God-inspired work.

How painful it is to hear this testimony again and again, like a sad refrain! But this is the last time. Under Hoshea, the man who killed Pekah and took his place, God put an end to "the kingdom of the house of Israel" (Hosea 1:4).

Tiglath-Pileser of Assyria comes up against him. He carries off as captives the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh — all the people settled beyond the Jordan... The breaking up of the northern kingdom of Ephraim begins with the tribes that had chosen their share of land on the other side of the Jordan, because it suited them.

Some Christians never step firmly, and without a backward glance, onto the ground where the death of Christ stands between them and the world like the Jordan — a barrier no one can cross. Those Christians are the first to meet the enemy's attacks. They become the sad captives of the world, because, real as their faith is, they have not agreed to break with it completely.

Josephus says Hoshea was "a friend" of Pekah's... His name means watch. It comes from a root meaning "to open" (as the eyes are opened), and so it pictures being observant. But watch as he might, the very friend he trusted became his killer, and God ordered it so. That is how impossible it is for the wicked to escape the punishment they deserve from the hand of Him who has said, "Vengeance is Mine; I will repay."

Though Pekah was unable to resist Assyria, he did have the more dubious distinction of killing 123,000 men of Judah in one day! How often it seems we do more damage to our own brothers and sisters than we do to the power of our enemies!

Yes, and they, along with the wicked acts recorded here, are written in God's books above. Those books are not just "the chronicles of the kings of Israel." They hold the deeds and doings of every person's life, good or evil. Solemn facts for us all!

Son of Remaliah and captain to Pekahiah, king of Israel, whom he murdered, and then seized the throne: he reigned 20 years. He invaded Judah, and killed 120,000 in one day, and carried away 200,000 women, sons and daughters.

The two Books of Kings retrace the history of the kings of Israel. They bring in the kings of Judah only as landmarks in the account, or to show how the two royal lines stood in relation to each other.

"Jotham was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem." Jotham was regent over the kingdom after the judgment of God had fallen upon his father. "And Jotham his son was over the king's household, governing the people of the land." This shows that Uzziah committed his irreverent trespass in the very last part of his long reign. Jotham was only a young man of twenty-five when his father died... His mother was Jerushah, whose name means "possessed," and she was the daughter of Zadok, whose name means "just." This suggests that she truly belonged to the Lord, and was just before Him. Like every true mother, she would have had great influence in shaping her son's character.

The divine judgment on his father clearly moved King Jotham deeply, for "he did not enter the temple of the LORD." David was "afraid of the LORD" after Uzzah died for touching the ark, and Jotham was plainly the same. Reverential fear made king Jotham do what was right in the eyes of the LORD. But slavish fear kept him from God's presence.

The "upper gate" led from the king's house to the temple, and Jotham's building it (rebuilding, or repairing) is very significant. He wanted free access from his own house to that of the Lord. He wanted to strengthen the link between the two houses. To use a military picture, he kept his supply line open to the source of his strength and wisdom. This is one of the secrets of his prosperity and power.

Jotham, the son of Uzziah, walks uprightly. He avoids his father's fault. But the people are still corrupt. Even so, Jotham's faithfulness brings him blessing and prosperity. For it is always the state of the king which is the object of God's judgment. The people as such had failed long before.

Jotham became mighty "because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God." With so much to commend his reign, it is sad to read, "Nevertheless, the high places were not removed." How good it would have been if Jotham had shown the same zeal for removing what offended his God that he showed in his wars and in building his cities, castles and towers.

Jotham is the only one of all the Hebrew kings, from Saul onward, against whom God has nothing to record. His character matches his name, Jehovah-perfect. "The whole world," we know, is "held accountable to God." "All have sinned," God says. But in his public life, Jotham, like Daniel, was perfect, or blameless... Man saw nothing to condemn: Daniel knew God's eye saw much.

Jotham ruled the kingdom in his father's place after God's judgment fell on Uzziah. "And Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land" (2 Chronicles 26:21). This shows that Uzziah committed his sin against God in the very last part of his long reign. Jotham was only a young man of twenty-five when his father died, so he could not have been judging the people of the land many years before this.

The idea of his dignity, of his great importance as king, led him, the civil power, to take over religious authority. The Lord judges Uzziah by striking him with leprosy. This authority, which he was so proud of and for which he had not given the Lord the honour, passes from him to his son Jotham years before his death.

His mother, Jerusha, daughter of Zadok, was probably of the priestly family. In her we again see the blessed role that the mothers of Judah's kings played. There is nothing like this among the kings of Israel.

His mother's name, Jerusha, means "possessed," and Zadok means "just." This seems to imply that she was really the Lord's, and just before Him. Like every true mother, she would have had considerable influence over her son in forming his character.

"All his wars" implies that he fought his enemies throughout his sixteen-year reign. He subdued some, like the Ammonites, and drove back the invasions of others (Rezin king of Syria, and Pekah king of Israel). His "ways" too were written. God calls His saints to walk as well as to fight... Jotham is the only one of all the Hebrew kings, from Saul down, against whom God has nothing to record. In this, his character matches his name, which means "the Lord is perfect." "All have sinned," God says. But in his public life Jotham was perfect, or blameless.

Like his father, Jotham prospered in battle, and he made his name as a builder of cities and towers. He became mighty "because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God." So much in his reign is worth praising. That makes it sad to read, "The people still acted corruptly" (2 Chronicles 27:2), and "Nevertheless, the high places were not removed. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places" (2 Kings 15:35). If only Jotham had shown the same zeal for removing what offended his God that he showed in his wars and in building his cities, castles and towers.

Before he came to the throne, judgment fell on his father for wrongly forcing his way into the holy place to burn incense, and Jotham governed the land (chapter 26:21). But God's estimate of his character and reign refers to him after his father's death. As the anointed king, God held him more directly responsible — for his own state, and for the state of his people and kingdom. Everywhere in Scripture the higher the position, the greater the responsibility. In the Lord's own words, to whom much is given, of him much is required.

We may still ask what exactly is meant by Jotham walking in his father's steps. It means, we judge, that it was good as far as it went, but it was not godliness or obedience of the highest kind. Of both Hezekiah and Josiah the record says that David their father was their model. David was the man after God's own heart; Uzziah was not, and to remember this is to see the difference... Believers today fall into the same mistake. They make their parents' walk their standard, or the walk of other Christians they admire — instead of the walk of the only perfect Example.

The account in Chronicles teaches us that Jotham "became mighty, because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God." Godliness is a source of strength for us too, and of spiritual power. The moment our ways are no longer ordered before God, strength leaves us. That is serious for all of us, and a thousand times more serious for anyone who carries a particular responsibility toward the people of God. But being aware of that strength carries a danger. We saw with Uzziah how that feeling pushed him to lift himself up before the high priest.

So we read that he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, "except he did not enter the temple of the LORD." He avoided the folly of his headstrong father. He did not rush in where angels fear to tread.

Jotham was not a worshipper, and so he did not meet the mind of the Lord... It is plain, therefore, that the Spirit of God marks it as a failure that Jotham did not enter the temple of the Lord. If so, is there no warning for us through Jotham? Sadly, many who profess to be Christians are not worshippers — and some of them are real Christians.

Verse 35 tells us that, though Jotham failed to remove the high places from Judah, he did build the upper Gate of the house of the Lord. So despite his lack of faith in getting rid of the high places of worship, he did have serious respect for the house of the Lord, God's only centre of worship. 2 Chronicles 27 tells us also that he did a lot of building on the wall of Ophel — that wall speaks of godly separation.

As the anointed king he was responsible to know the Lord's mind, and to walk according to it, so that he might lead the people in the way of God's commandments. The higher the position, the greater the influence; and so Jotham's neglect of the temple could not fail to open the door to the corruptions which the Spirit of God has pointed out.

Jotham is the only one of all the Hebrew kings, from Saul down, against whom God has nothing to record. In this his character is in beautiful accord with his name, Jehovah-perfect. The whole world, we know, is "held accountable to God." "All have sinned," God says. But in his public life, Jotham, like Daniel, was perfect, or blameless.

Jotham, king of Judah, held a position midway between these two classes. He was not an idolater, and yet the house of the Lord did not hold the place in his thoughts that it deserved. You could say he began his work outside the sanctuary. He went out to the mountains to build before he had gone into the sanctuary to worship. He stood on the battlefield before he had stood at the altar… True, he did much. He built castles and towers. He even went so far as to build the high gate of the temple of the Lord. Yet despite all this there was a "nevertheless" — the high places were not removed, and the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places.

The Word alone must govern them in everything to do with worship, as indeed in everything else. The Lord would choose His own centre. There His people must come with their burnt offerings and sacrifices… The time soon came, sadly, when Israel chose high places for themselves. Some of these were for idol worship, and some for the worship of the Lord. But all the high places were offensive in His sight, whatever the motives of those who set them up. They were the expression of self-will — of hearts not subject to His commandments. Some of Judah's best kings tolerated high places, not those dedicated to idols, we may be sure, but those where people professed to worship the Lord. This weakness is specially recorded of Jotham (2 Kings 15:35), Asa (2 Chron. 15:17), and Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. 20:33).

True, they offered the sacrifices and incense to the Lord. But Scripture said Jerusalem was "the place where people ought to worship." Many godly Israelites probably thought this departure unimportant. It only paved the way for greater and more serious violations of the law. God's people are only safe while they hold closely to the very letter of the word of God. The slightest departures are often the first step toward wide and serious disobedience to God's will as revealed in His Word.

The "high gate" led from the king's house to the temple, and Jotham's building it (rebuilding, or repairing) is very significant. He wanted free access from his own house to that of the Lord. He would strengthen the link between the two houses. To use a military picture, he kept his line of supply open to the source of his strength and wisdom. This is one of the secrets of his prosperity and power.

Could there be a connection between Jotham not being a worshipper and the idol worship of the people? If the Lord had held His rightful place in Jotham's heart, such open disobedience and rebellion would have been an unbearable grief to him.

There are servants today who work hard and eagerly, caring, or seeming to care, for the Lord's interests… They seek to guard God's people from the enemy's attacks. They are first to draw the sword in defence of the truth they have received. Yet they have never entered into the enjoyment of their highest privileges themselves. They serve outside, but they have not learned what it is to worship in the holiest. It was in this very thing, we judge, that Jotham failed.

"He sacrificed and made offerings on the high places" (not removed in Jotham's day, 2 Kings 15:35), "and on the hills and under every green tree." It seems strange that the best of men often have the worst of sons.

In several places we find references to other books. They contain more about the life of the king in question, and the writer may have based his accounts on them. One is the book of the acts of Solomon (1 Kings 11:41). Others, named several times, are the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel (1 Kings 14:19; 2 Kings 15:31) and the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah (1 Kings 14:29; 2 Kings 24:5)... The author of the books of Kings was able to use these "references" under the guidance of the Holy Spirit while writing his godly inspired work.

"All his wars" implies that he kept fighting enemies through his sixteen years' reign. He subdued some, like the Ammonites. He drove back the invasions of others (Rezin king of Syria, and Pekah king of Israel). His "ways" too were written. God's saints are called to walk, as well as to war. "I have fought the good fight," said one; "I have finished the race," he also adds. This last was his "ways." Ours, like king Jotham's, "are written in the book." May we say then, like another Hebrew king, "I will guard my ways"!

Jotham is the only one of all the Hebrew kings, from Saul down, against whom God has nothing to record. In this his character is in beautiful accord with his name, Jehovah-perfect. We know the whole world is "held accountable to God." "All have sinned," God says. But in his public life, Jotham, like Daniel, was perfect, or blameless.

Even Jotham, who was mostly faithful to God, failed by allowing the high places of worship to continue (ch. 15:34-35).

The "high gate" led from the king's house to the temple (see 2 Chron. 23:20), and Jotham's building it (rebuilding, or repairing) is very significant. He wished free access from his own house to that of the Lord. He would strengthen the link between the two houses. To use a military picture, he kept his line of communication open with the source of his supplies of strength and wisdom. This is one of the secrets of his prosperity and power... That high gate between the palace and the temple was better than a wall right around his kingdom. It is in communion with God that all real prosperity and power is found.

As a builder he excelled, here too following in his father's footsteps. We are not told whether he built to secure the Lord's inheritance, or to promote his own might and glory in his kingdom. There are servants today who work hard and with zeal, caring — or seeming to care — for the Lord's interests. Their motives may be mixed, and still the Lord can use them for the good of His people. They work to guard the people of God from enemy attack. They are the first to draw the sword in defence of the truth they have received. Yet they have never entered into the enjoyment of their own highest privileges. They serve outside, but they have not learned what it is to worship in the holiest place.

Judah, like Israel, was getting worse fast, and the LORD disciplined them with judgments.

He was the son of Remaliah and captain to Pekahiah, king of Israel. He murdered him, then seized the throne, and reigned 20 years... He invaded Judah, and killed 120,000 in one day, and carried away 200,000 women, sons and daughters... Later Pekah formed an alliance with Rezin, king of Damascus, against Judah. But Ahaz, king of Judah, called Tiglath-pileser to help him, and he killed Rezin and destroyed Damascus.

When it is not the faith of God's people that is the source of their strength, one enemy destroyed only makes room for another. The Assyrian soon appears on the scene... The Assyrian invades the land. Israel, allied with the king of Syria, turns its last efforts against Judah. A sorrowful picture of the people of God! The alliance between Syria and Israel brings out the king of Judah's unfaithfulness, and entangles him in the snares of the Assyrian.

The notice of Jotham is very brief... In a general way he did right in the sight of the Lord, but it seems he showed no energy. While he did right, the people still acted corruptly... Two things mark his reign: the king was personally righteous but without zeal, while the people, acting corruptly, were getting themselves ready to follow Ahaz in all his abominations.

May there not be a connection between Jotham's not being a worshipper, and the idolatrous practices of the people? For if the LORD had held His rightful place in Jotham's heart, it would have been unbearable grief to him to watch such open disobedience and rebellion.

If we examine these two reigns, we see prosperity, and in part fidelity. It is said of Uzziah that "he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD," and the same of his son Jotham. God not having yet withdrawn His hand, there were blessings belonging to them; but look at what there was below... He takes account of evil, and that before it shows itself; for He does not withdraw His hand until there is no remedy.

The sin of Judah required the discipline of God, but the godliness of their leader could take away the consequences of that discipline. This happened later under godly Hezekiah when the Assyrian came. It seems also that this may have been the case during the reign of Jotham.

The judgment prepared for the people under Jotham now overtakes Ahaz because of his unfaithfulness. We are told, "Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, came up to wage war on Jerusalem, and they besieged Ahaz but could not conquer him."

"So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers" only states that he died. In Scripture that is a different expression from "buried with his fathers," as you can see by comparing 2 Kings 15:38 and 16:20.

"All his wars" means that through his sixteen years as king he kept fighting his enemies. He subdued some, like the Ammonites. He drove back the invasions of others (Rezin king of Syria, and Pekah king of Israel). His "ways" too were written. God's saints are called to walk, as well as to war... Jotham is the only one of all the Hebrew kings, from Saul down, against whom God has nothing to record. Here his character beautifully matches his name, Jehovah-perfect... "All have sinned," God says. But in his public life, Jotham, like Daniel, was perfect, or blameless.

The "high gate" led from the king's house to the temple... He wanted free access from his own house to the house of the Lord. He wanted to strengthen the link between the two houses. In military terms, he kept his supply line open to the source of his strength and wisdom. This is one of the secrets of his prosperity and power.

Jotham did not become puffed up by his strength. Being humble, he was occupied with the house of God. What a privilege when a believer leaves behind him, as a remembrance, what he has done for the house of God! God records this deed and leaves it with us as a memorial for Jotham.

But "the people still followed corrupt practices" (2 Chronicles 27:2). These godly kings were not decided enough, and did not dare to attack idolatry at its root. Chronicles tells us that Jotham "became mighty, because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God." Godliness is a source of strength for us too, and of spiritual power. The moment our ways are not ordered before God, our strength leaves us.

Jotham, the son of Uzziah, may not have had a glorious reign, but he himself kept to the right paths of the Lord. Then came a most wicked son, Ahaz, and Scripture says nothing good of him. The patience of the Lord shines all the brighter against this dark background.

If godliness does not pass from father to son, grace can work in the heart and direct the steps of a man who had the most wicked father. This was the case with the son of Ahaz.

The judgment prepared for the people under Jotham now overtakes Ahaz because of his unfaithfulness.

Ahaz, king of Judah, came to the throne at a remarkable time in the history of God's earthly people. The three kings before him — Jotham, Azariah and Amaziah — reigned for about 130 years, and all of them had "done what was right in the sight of the Lord." Ahaz surely knew all this. So he understood what God expects of a king. He began to reign at 20 years of age. Sadly, the record says he "did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord," but acted "according to the abominations of the heathen."

It seems strange that the best of men often have the worst of sons. Ahaz's mother is not mentioned, and it is possible that his father made an unhappy choice of a wife. A king carries the heavy weight of government every day. He can give little time to training his children, so that important duty must fall largely on the mother.

In the history of the fall of Samaria and the Assyrian invasions, there are questions of chronology. Some come from the book itself, and some from comparing it with secular history. Some have resolved the interval by an interregnum. This is at any rate right in substance. The record says Hoshea reigned nine years. Yet he begins to reign in the twelfth year of Ahaz, and Pekah was killed in the third year of Ahaz. Ahaz began in the seventeenth year of Pekah, and Pekah reigned twenty years.

Notice that this word "evil" is always used with reference to the Lord. Turning away from God does often hand the guilty one over to every kind of moral evil, to crime and impurity. But it is not always so. Jeroboam I, Joash of Israel, and Jeroboam II were remarkable kings in the eyes of men. Two of them were "saviours" of their nation. They helped build its reputation and win back its lands. But for God, the question is a different one.

How touching is the patient grace God has toward this evil king! He reassures him instead of crushing him. He announces deliverance to him. He says to him, "Take heed and be quiet" — let Me act. He says, "Fear not" to a man who had everything to fear.

When Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah, king of Israel, came against Jerusalem and besieged Ahaz, he appealed to Tiglath-pileser to save him out of their hands. He did not cry to Jehovah for the deliverance He had promised to His people… Isaiah told Ahaz to ask the LORD God for a sign of any kind, to calm the king's fears and show that the LORD would preserve the house of David. When wicked Ahaz refused, the prophet spoke that great sign, which would come true over seven hundred years later: the virgin would conceive and bring forth a son, even Immanuel. The house of David might be punished and disciplined, but the royal family could not come to a full end, for the promised One had to come from David.

Ahaz, king of Judah, came to the throne at a remarkable time in the history of God's earthly people. The three kings before him — Jotham, Azariah and Amaziah — reigned for about 130 years, and all of them had "done what was right in the eyes of the LORD." Ahaz surely knew this. So he knew the standard God sets for a king.

It seems strange that the best of men often have the worst of sons. Ahaz's mother is not named, and it is possible that his father chose his wife badly. A king has the heavy work of government pressing on him all the time. He can give little time to training his children, so most of that important duty falls to the mother.

Notice that this word "evil" is always used in reference to the Lord. It is true that turning away from God often hands the guilty person over to all sorts of moral evil, to crime and impurity, but it is not always so. Jeroboam I, Joash of Israel and Jeroboam II were remarkable kings in the eyes of men. Two of them were "saviours" of their nation, helping to build its reputation and win back its lands. But for God the question is a different one. What matters is the relationship these kings had with Him, and Ahaz king of Judah here as well.

Scripture says this great thing about David: he followed the LORD with all his heart. The LORD had power to take hold of His people's hearts completely. This became the standard for measuring later unfaithful kings: "his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father." The LORD had all of David's heart, and worship flowed straight out of that. The later kings worshipped the Baals, and that is why they compare so badly with David.

His father set a very bad example, but Hezekiah did not follow it. Everyone should realize that he does not have to walk in his father's godless footsteps.

Ahaz began his reign, Scripture says, when he was twenty years old, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And Hezekiah, his son, was twenty-five years old when he came to the throne. This seems to teach that Ahaz was only eleven when Hezekiah was born, which is very unlikely, if not impossible. Modern commentators have suggested various solutions, and none of them is satisfactory. One writer answers them well: "It is never advisable to find any fault with the text except where there is no other tolerable solution, and that is not the case here."

How moving is the patient grace God shows toward this evil king! He reassures him instead of crushing him. He announces rescue to him. He says to him, "Take heed and be quiet" — let Me act. He says "Fear not" to a man who himself had everything to fear.

Our fear that trouble will come makes us look for support in what seems to us a safe path. Those are the very things God uses to chastise us. The kings of Israel and Syria came against Judah of their own will. God stops them. Ahaz and his people wanted to lean on the king of Assyria, and in the end God makes the Assyrian come against them.

Another effect of the earlier connection with Ahab is that Ahaz walked in the ways of the kings of Israel. This expression seems to mark the greatest guilt of the kings of Judah. Scripture uses it after the marriage link with Ahab. Ahaz burned his children in the fire. Manasseh consulted mediums and spiritists. Could the chosen nation sink lower?

The kings of Israel had set a deadly example. That course led Judah and all Israel to ruin (see 2 Kings 16:3). All this began with the godly Jehoshaphat's alliance with Ahab. Evil bears fruit, and that fruit keeps reproducing itself for a long time.

He made idolatrous images and burned incense in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom. There he sacrificed his own children to the fire (v. 3). They did this by placing the young child in the arms of a metal idol. Then they lit a fire under it and beat drums to drown out the child's cries. That is how hard-hearted the wickedness of idolatry is. Yet men like Ahaz think they are being very religious when they do it.

Satan so blinded parents that they gave their own children as sacrifices to Molech, the god of the Ammonites... Some have argued from "passing through the fire," here and elsewhere, that their children were not burned. But this seems a kindly effort to soften how wicked the act really was. It was the fullest, though not the only, profaning of the name of Israel's God. The Lord accepted a sheep or an ox, or even a much smaller sacrifice; Satan, under these names, demanded their sons.

A solemn warning closes this chapter. God would cast the people of Canaan out of the land because of their vileness. The Lord would not spare His own people if they practised these things. They did commit all this wickedness. Israel, cast out of the land and wandering homeless, shows that God carried out this solemn warning.

He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord like the kings of Israel. Notice that this word "evil" is always given to us in reference to the Lord... Jeroboam I, Joash of Israel, and Jeroboam II were remarkable monarchs in the eyes of men. Two of them were "saviours" of their nation, helping to build its reputation and to win back its territory. But for God the question is a different one. It is a matter of what relationship these kings, like Ahaz king of Judah here, had with Him.

The Lord sends Isaiah to meet the king... How moving is the patient grace God shows toward this evil king! He reassures him instead of crushing him. He announces deliverance to him. He says, "Take care and be quiet" — let Me act. He says "Fear not" to the man who had everything to fear.

"The two tails of these smoking firebrands" aimed to remove king Ahaz from the throne and set up "the son of Tabeal" in his place... This was surely Satan's plot, if not man's, to destroy the line of David. For this reason God did not hand Jerusalem over to them... A remnant would be left to return to the land, and the virgin would bear a son. So a king would never fail on the throne of David.

None of the kings before him had done away with the high places. They had let the people burn incense there without joining in this idolatry themselves. Ahaz himself "sacrificed and made offerings on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree" (2 Kings 16:4). He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord like the kings of Israel.

It seems to have been the custom of the nations of Canaan to set up places of worship for their false gods on various heights, chosen to suit their own desires, which Satan controlled. The Lord told His people about the ways of these nations, and forbade them to copy them. He would choose His own centre, and there His people must come with their burnt offerings and sacrifices. The Israelites were to destroy all the high places of these nations. In that way they would show their horror at their wicked ways. But human nature is no better in those who are near to God than in those who are far from Him. Sad to say, the time soon came when Israel chose high places for themselves. Some of these were for idolatrous worship, and some for the worship of the Lord. But all the high places were offensive in His sight, whatever the motives of those who set them up. They were the expression of self-will, of hearts not subject to His commandments.

They set up for themselves sacred pillars and wooden images on high hills and under green trees. They would no doubt say that these things were there to remind them of God. But God had forbidden such things. Using them always lowered God in their view, so that in the end the things themselves became the objects of their worship.

Notice that the word "evil" is always used with reference to the Lord. It does happen that forsaking God hands the guilty one over to all kinds of moral evil, to crime and impurity. But it is not always so. Jeroboam I, Joash of Israel, and Jeroboam II were remarkable monarchs in the eyes of men. Two of them were "saviours" of their nation... But for God, the question is a different one. It is a matter of working out what relationship these kings — like Ahaz king of Judah here — had with Him.

His father Jotham did not burn incense in the high places, but he had allowed those places to remain. Ahaz forgot the temple of God and burned incense in the high places and other outdoor areas (v.4). He was like many today who say they need not gather with others to worship God. They claim they can worship just as well while enjoying the scenery, when they hunt or fish or play golf or hike in the mountains.

The Lord sends Isaiah to meet the king. The prophet speaks in grace to this wicked king... But how touching is the patient grace God has toward this evil king! He reassures him instead of crushing him. He announces deliverance to him. He says to him, "Be careful, be quiet" — let Me act. He says, "Do not fear" to the man who, for his part, had everything to fear.

A seaport town at the far north of the Gulf of Akaba branch of the Red Sea. It is first mentioned during the wanderings of the Israelites. Later it belonged to Solomon's kingdom. Nearby, at Ezion-geber, he kept a fleet of ships. Afterwards we read that Azariah built it and restored it to Judah. Later still Rezin conquered it, and the Syrians held it, until it became a border town of Rome.

His son Azariah succeeded him. He recovered Elath for Judah and restored it. This city, and all the territory of Edom it belonged to, had once been under David's rule and part of Solomon's kingdom. After Azariah, it did not remain in the hands of Judah for long. Sixty-eight years later, Rezin the king of Syria recovered it.

These statements do not clash with 2 Kings 16:5, which says these allied kings "could not overcome him." They could not get into the city or reach the king himself, though they entered the land. When it says "God delivered him" and "they smote him," it means his people and his kingdom. Elath was also lost to Judah at this time.

However, Rezin captured Elath, a city of Judah, and drove the people of Judah out of the city, allowing the Edomites to take possession of it.

This spurred Ahaz to appeal, not to God, but to the king of Assyria, Tiglath Pileser, telling him that he, Ahaz, was his servant and asking his help against Syria and Israel. How foolish a move this was for a king of Judah! It cost him something, too. He stole from the Lord the silver and gold in the house of the Lord. He also took silver and gold from the treasuries of the king's house. He used it all to pay the king of Assyria for his protection.

The Lord sends Isaiah to meet the king. His son Shear-jashub comes with him. The name means "the remnant shall return." He speaks in grace to this wicked king... How touching is the patient grace God shows toward this evil king! He reassures him instead of crushing him; He announces deliverance to him; He says to him, "Take heed and be quiet" — let Me act. He says, "Fear not" to the man who had everything to fear.

A man of Judah. The term does not occur until after the division of the kingdom. 2 Kings 16:6; 2 Kings 25:25. It applies to anyone belonging to the two tribes. It may also have been used of any of the ten tribes who stayed in the land at the captivity, or who returned there. The Old Testament uses the name most often in Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, and Jeremiah.

Ahaz prefers to trust the king of Assyria against Pekah and Rezin rather than to trust the Lord and obey Him. This explains his answer to Isaiah.

What the Christian needs is to be sure of his relationship with God. Then there is nothing to fear. The people do not have to dread the strength of the enemy. What weakens them is their own iniquity. The danger that threatens comes to nothing. But if we look for any support at all in something of this world, God abandons us. He leaves us to face the consequences of the support we chose. So Pekah and Rezin had no strength against Judah, because God would not hand Jerusalem over to these allied kings. But Ahaz, fearful and unbelieving, rests on Assyria — and it is the Assyrian that Judah must be saved from. Meanwhile God reveals the true Deliverer, the real support: Immanuel.

How shameful is his fawning appeal to the king of Assyria: "I am your servant and your son. Come up and rescue me from the hand of the king of Syria." And that greedy king, for the silver and gold sent him, went to Damascus and killed Rezin, its king.

What a solemn departure from the Lord, and from dependence on Him, for a son of king David.

How touching is the patient grace God has toward this evil king! He reassures him instead of crushing him; He announces deliverance to him; He says to him, "Take heed and be quiet" — let Me act. He says, "Fear not" to the man who, for his part, had everything to fear... The Spirit of God, through the prophet, says to Ahaz: "Ask for yourself a sign from the LORD your God." Ahaz answered, "I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test." He covered his unbelief and his disobedience with a show of reverence.

How often the hypocrisy of unbelief tries in this way to hide its contempt of Jehovah! Its presumption despises the word of His grace, yet it puts on the dress of superior reverence and humility... Ahaz shrank from God even in His goodness. Flesh never trusts God.

How foolish a move was this for a king of Judah! It cost him something too. He stole from the Lord the silver and gold that was in the house of the Lord. He also took silver and gold from the treasuries of the king's house. He used it to pay the king of Assyria for his protection.

The king of Assyria came, but instead of really helping him, afflicted him. He took the treasure Ahaz stripped for him from the house of the Lord. He took more from his own house and from the houses of the princes. It was just as the prophet Isaiah had warned him: "The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah — the king of Assyria." He trusted in man. He made flesh his strength, and his heart departed from the Lord... "And in the time of his distress he trespassed yet more against the LORD." How different was his great ancestor David! "In my distress I called upon the LORD."

The voluntary action of Ahaz put him and Judah in touch with the king of Assyria. It put them into slavery to Assyria. And it brought them into idolatry, because Ahaz went to meet the king of Assyria at Damascus and built an idolatrous altar copying the one he saw there.

This spurred Ahaz to appeal to the king of Assyria, Tiglath Pileser, and not to God. He told him that he (Ahaz) was his servant, and asked his help against Syria and Israel. How foolish a move was this on the part of a king of Judah! It cost him something too. He stole from the Lord the silver and gold that was in the house of the Lord. He also took silver and gold from the treasuries of the king's house, to pay the king of Assyria for his protection.

How touching is the patient grace God has toward this evil king! He reassures him instead of crushing him; He announces deliverance to him; He says to him, "Be careful, be quiet" — let Me act. He says "do not fear" to him who on his part had everything to fear... The Spirit of God, through the prophet, says to Ahaz: "Ask a sign of the LORD your God." Ahaz answered, "I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test." He coloured his unbelief and his disobedience with an appearance of piety. To put the Lord to the test was to distrust Him. But Ahaz did much more than distrust Him: he did not believe the word of the Lord.

Uzziah was king of Judah when Tiglath-pileser carried captive the first of Israel's cities. It was to this same king of Assyria that Ahaz, the grandson of Uzziah, sent messengers: "I am your servant and your son: come up and save me from the hand of the king of Syria and from the hand of the king of Israel..." What a solemn departure from the Lord, and from dependence on Him, for a son of king David.

The king of Assyria came, but instead of helping him he "distressed him." He took the treasure Ahaz "stripped" for him from the house of the Lord, and from his own house, and the houses of the princes. It was just as the prophet Isaiah had forewarned him: "The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah — the king of Assyria." He trusted in man and leaned on human strength. His heart turned away from the Lord, and so he brought on himself and his kingdom the curse and barrenness that follow. "In the time of his distress he grew yet more faithless to the LORD." How different was his great ancestor David! "In my distress," he says, "I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help."

Rezin, King of Syria, and Pekah, the son of Remaliah, King of Israel, came against Jerusalem and besieged Ahaz. He appealed to Tiglath-pileser to save him out of their hands, instead of crying to the LORD for the deliverance He had promised to His people... When wicked Ahaz refused, the prophet gave that great sign, which would take place over seven hundred years later: the virgin would conceive and bring forth a son, even Immanuel. The house of David might suffer punishment and discipline, but there could be no full end of the royal family. The promised One had to come from David.

Ahaz prefers to trust the king of Assyria against Pekah and Rezin rather than to trust the Lord and obey Him… The Lord had already pronounced judgment on Israel for seeking Assyria's support. He now pronounces the same on Judah, which sought that same alliance.

This spurred Ahaz to appeal, not to God, but to the king of Assyria, Tiglath-Pileser. He told him that he (Ahaz) was his servant, and asked his help against Syria and Israel. What a foolish move this was for a king of Judah! It cost him something too. He stole from the Lord the silver and gold that was in the house of the Lord. He also took silver and gold from the treasuries of the king's house. All of it went to pay the king of Assyria for his protection.

Damascus was broken and the predicted judgment came. The King of Assyria, Tiglath-Pileser, carried it out. He drove the Syrians back to Kir, the place they had come from.

The first result of this trust in Assyria seemed to be favourable for Judah… The prophecy pronounced long before by Amos is now fulfilled.

The king of Assyria came, but he did not really help him. Instead he "distressed him." He took the treasure Ahaz "stripped" for him from the house of the Lord, from his own house, and from the houses of the princes. It was just as the prophet Isaiah had forewarned him: "The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria." He trusted in man and leaned on human strength. His heart turned away from the Lord, and he brought on himself and his kingdom the curse and barrenness that follow.

Ahaz is not at the end of his transgressions. Isaiah's prophecy had no effect on his conscience. He went to Damascus to meet the king of Assyria, whom he congratulated for his help and his success. He had seen Rezin's altar to false gods. He sends its pattern to Jerusalem and has it set up in the court of the temple. He finds a high priest to carry out this act of sacrilege.

It is only the old leaning on Egypt that we see so often in Israel. In the end they found Egypt a broken reed… And yet how often we still look for help like this! We ask for or accept help that cuts us off from the help of God. All such things are only a denial of Him, who is the one security His people need.

Ahaz chose to trust the king of Assyria against Pekah and Rezin rather than to trust the Lord and obey Him. This explains his answer to Isaiah. … The first result of this trust in Assyria seemed to work out well for Judah. Tiglath-pileser captured Damascus, carried away its people, and put Rezin to death.

Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser, likely to congratulate him for his victory. But while there Ahaz saw a Syrian altar that he evidently liked better than the altar of the Lord. He therefore sent the pattern of the altar to Urijah the priest at Jerusalem, instructing him to build one like it for the worship of Judah. Ahaz was therefore a religious man, but choosing wicked religion above the true worship of the Lord. Christendom has been guilty of the same evil in imitating the false worship of unbelievers.

Moses is reminded again that the pattern shown to him on the mountain must be his guide. The wisdom of God alone could devise the altar which was to embody so many blessed truths. A king Ahaz, taken with the beauty of the Syrian altar, may reject the altar of God; but it was the ruin of him and of all Israel. So now men may refuse the preaching of the cross of Christ. By their own reckoning they find in it either a stumbling block or foolishness. So they choose an altar for their worship that suits their own tastes, one that will not offend the prejudices of the natural man. But, as with Ahaz, it can only end in their everlasting ruin. God alone can set the way and the manner of approach to Himself.

When Uzziah interfered with the order of the house of God, the faithful priests resisted him. But when Ahaz sent the pattern of the idolatrous altar from Damascus, Urijah the priest built it for him. He supported the king in his turning away from God.

He reversed the rule the apostles lived by: "We must obey God rather than men." He thought otherwise. His eye was on the honour that comes from man; theirs was on the honour that comes from God.

On this altar of new design Ahaz offers every kind of offering except the one he needed most for himself — the sin offering. The plain bronze altar stood before the house of the Lord. It seems to have offended his taste for beauty. So it was moved to a less noticeable place, on the north side of his own foreign substitute.

Do we not find something similar in today's religions? Men who claim to be Christians think they can come to God by an altar other than the altar of expiation — an altar they do not believe in. Like Rezin's altar, theirs is much broader and far better looking than God's. The old religious narrowness has given way to broader views, they say. It is no longer the blood of the cross that justifies and redeems the sinner. … The new altar has no point of contact with the old.

Ahaz therefore sent the pattern of the altar to Urijah the priest at Jerusalem, telling him to build one like it for the worship of Judah. So Ahaz was a religious man, but he chose wicked religion above the true worship of the Lord. The Christian world has been guilty of the same evil, copying the false worship of unbelievers. But why did Urijah not have the spiritual strength to resist this evil of the king? Instead of resisting, he agreed with this false worship completely, and had built the altar by the time Ahaz returned.

When Uzziah interfered with the order of God's house, the faithful priests resisted him. But when Ahaz sent the pattern of the idolatrous altar from Damascus, Urijah the priest built it for him, and backed the king in his turning away from God.

Having seen Rezin's idolatrous altar, he sends its pattern to Jerusalem and has it set up in the court of the temple. He finds a high priest to carry out this act of sacrilege. 2 Chronicles 28:22 tells us that Ahaz sacrificed to the gods of Damascus. To burn a sacrifice on any altar other than the bronze altar was to sacrifice to false gods.

In his pride he told the high priest what to offer on his altar, and how, and when. And Urijah, the unworthy successor of Jehoiada and Zechariah, obeyed him to the letter like a slave. "Uriah the priest did all this, as King Ahaz commanded." He turned the apostles' rule upside down, that we "must obey God rather than men." He thought differently. His eye was on the honour that comes from man; theirs was on the honour that comes from God.

When Ahaz set up a new altar in the Temple, copied from the pattern of the idol-altar, he opened the door wide to unlawful worship in the Temple of God. He found a willing helper in Urijah (whose name means "the LORD is light"), who ran the worship just as King Ahaz commanded. And greater dishonour to God's house followed. He even shut up the doors of the house of the Lord (2 Chron. 28:24), which probably meant that the services in the Holy Place stopped completely.

A king like Ahaz, captivated by the beauty of the Syrian altar, may reject the altar of God. But it was the ruin of him and of all Israel. In the same way men today may refuse the preaching of the cross of Christ. To their thinking it is either a stumbling block or foolishness. So they choose an altar for their worship that suits their own taste, one that will not offend the prejudices of the natural man. But, as with Ahaz, it can only end in their everlasting ruin. God alone can prescribe the fitting way and method of access to Himself.

Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath Pileser, likely to congratulate him for his victory. But while there Ahaz saw a Syrian altar that he evidently liked better than the altar of the Lord. So he sent the pattern of the altar to Urijah the priest in Jerusalem, and told him to build one like it for the worship of Judah. Ahaz was a religious man. But he chose wicked religion above the true worship of the Lord.

When Uzziah interfered with the order of the house of God, the faithful priests resisted him. But when Ahaz sent the pattern of the idolatrous altar from Damascus, Urijah the priest built it for him. He supported the king in his turning away from God.

King Ahaz finds in Urijah the high priest a willing tool for his idolatrous plans. Untrue to his name, which means "light of the Lord," he obeys his king's orders without question instead of rebuking him for his shameful act. Probably because he bowed so low, his name is left out of the list of priests in 1 Chronicles 6:4-15.

Having seen Rezin's idolatrous altar, he sends its pattern to Jerusalem. He has it set up in the court of the temple. He finds a high priest to carry out this act of sacrilege. 2 Chronicles 28:22 tells us that Ahaz sacrificed to the gods of Damascus. Burning a sacrifice on any altar other than the bronze altar was sacrificing to false gods.

On this altar of new design Ahaz offers every kind of offering. He leaves out the one he needed most for himself — the sin offering. The plain bronze altar, "which was before the house of the Lord," seems to have offended his taste for beauty. So he pushed it aside to the north side of his own foreign copy. He had the arrogance to command the high priest what to offer on his altar, and how, and when. And Urijah, the unworthy successor of better priests, obeyed to the letter. He reversed the apostles' rule, that we ought to obey God rather than men.

Not only did Ahaz introduce an idolatrous altar into the temple worship, but he displaced the copper altar that was in front of the temple. He put it on the north side of his new altar. The Lord had placed the copper altar in front of the temple because it speaks of the only way of approach to God. That way is Christ, the One whose sacrifice is indispensable. But how many today are like Ahaz, pushing Christ out of the way and despising the value of His perfect sacrifice.

Do we not find something similar in today's religions? Men who profess to be Christians think they can approach God by another altar than the altar of expiation, which they do not believe in. Like Rezin's altar, theirs is much broader, and looks much more beautiful than God's. The old-fashioned religious narrowness has given place to broader views, they say. It is no longer the blood of the cross that justifies and redeems the sinner. They have another Christ than that One. Their Christ renewed humanity's ties with God by His life, and His cross is nothing more than the crowning act of a life of devotion.

Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath Pileser, likely to congratulate him for his victory. But while there Ahaz saw a Syrian altar that he evidently liked better than the altar of the Lord. So he sent the pattern of the altar to Urijah the priest in Jerusalem. He told him to build one like it for the worship of Judah. Ahaz was a religious man, then, but he chose wicked religion over the true worship of the Lord.

On this altar of new design Ahaz offers every kind of offering except the one he needed most for himself — the sin-offering. The plain bronze altar stood in front of the house of the Lord. Its looks seem to have offended his taste for beauty. So it lost its place, pushed aside to the north side of his own foreign substitute.

Ahaz ignored the altar of God. He offered burnt offerings, grain offerings and drink offerings on the altar he liked, and sprinkled the blood on it as well. We are not told whether the priest acted for him in this or not. Ahaz could boast that he had some details right, while he was rebellious against God at the root. The Lord Jesus spoke of the scribes and Pharisees. They taught that a promise sworn by the altar counts for nothing, but a promise sworn by the gift on the altar must be kept. The Lord called these teachers blind fools, and asked which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift holy? The gift speaks of Christ's sacrifice, but the altar pictures Christ Himself, the basis of the value of the sacrifice. So the altar of Ahaz means that he brought in a false Christ.

Having seen Rezin's idolatrous altar, he sends its pattern to Jerusalem and has it erected in the court of the temple. He finds a high priest to carry out this act of sacrilege. 2 Chronicles 28:22 tells us that Ahaz sacrificed to the gods of Damascus. To burn a sacrifice on any altar other than the bronze altar was to sacrifice to false gods.

When Uzziah interfered with the order of the house of God, the faithful priests resisted him. But when Ahaz sent the pattern of the idolatrous altar from Damascus, Urijah the priest built it for him. He backed the king in his turning away from God.

Do we not find something similar in today's religions? Men who claim to be Christians think they can approach God by another altar than the altar of expiation, which they do not believe in. Like Rezin's altar, theirs is much broader and looks far more beautiful than God's. The old-fashioned religious narrowness has given way to broader views, they say. It is no longer the blood of the cross that justifies and redeems the sinner. They have another Christ than that One.

Ahaz did not only bring an idolatrous altar into the temple worship. He also displaced the copper altar that stood in front of the temple, and put it on the north side of his new altar (v.14). The Lord had the copper altar placed in front of the temple because it speaks of the only way of approach to God. That way is Christ, the One whose sacrifice is indispensable. But how many today are like Ahaz, pushing Christ out of the way and despising the value of His perfect sacrifice.

On this altar of new design Ahaz offers every kind of offering except the one he needed most for himself — the sin offering. The plain bronze altar, the one standing in front of the house of the LORD, seems to have offended his eye for beauty. So he pushed it off to a place of relative obscurity, on the north side of his own foreign substitute.

Like Rezin's altar, theirs is much broader and looks far more beautiful than God's. The old-fashioned religious narrowness has given way to broader views, they say. It is no longer the blood of the cross that justifies and redeems the sinner. They have another Christ, a Christ who by His life renewed humanity's ties with God. His cross is nothing more than the crowning act of a life of devotion. The new altar has no point of contact with the old. Its shape and its beauty make it far more desirable to the world than the bronze altar. So the bronze altar loses its place and is set aside (v. 14). It is no longer the indispensable way of approach when a person comes before God in His sanctuary. In short, there is a new way of approach; a new religion is set up, and the first is pushed into a corner.

When Uzziah interfered with the order of the house of God, the faithful priests resisted him. But when Ahaz sent the pattern of the idolatrous altar from Damascus, Urijah the priest built it for him, and supported the king in his apostasy.

A king like Ahaz, captivated by the beauty of the Syrian altar, may reject the altar of God (2 Kings 16). But it was the ruin of him and of all Israel (2 Chr. 28:23). So now people may refuse the preaching of the cross of Christ. As they see it, they find in it either a stumbling block or foolishness. So they choose an altar for their worship that suits their own taste and will not offend the natural man. But, as with Ahaz, it can only end in their everlasting ruin. God alone can prescribe the fitting way and method of access to Himself.

Finally, Ahaz changes the entrance to the house of the LORD (v. 18), which no one but the king was allowed to use. He does it "because of the king of Assyria." He gives up his own privileges as head of the people of God. He also gives up the "covered way of the sabbath," the privilege of the people themselves. He does all this to avoid offending the world he is serving… The very foundations of Israel's religion, by which the people were set apart for God, have disappeared.

On this altar of new design Ahaz offers every kind of offering except the one he needed most for himself — the sin offering... With great arrogance he told the high priest what to offer on his altar, and how, and when. And this unworthy successor of Jehoiada and Zechariah obeyed to the letter, like a slave. "Urijah the priest did everything King Ahaz commanded." He turned the apostles' rule upside down, that we "must obey God rather than men." His mind was set elsewhere. His eye was on the honour that comes from man; theirs was on the honour that comes from God.

Under other wicked kings, the record still honours faithful priests. One mark of the wicked reign of Ahaz is that here the priest is almost as wicked as the king. Urijah let himself become the ready tool of his king, who treated holy things with contempt, and helped him build an idolatrous altar.

Ahaz could boast of having some details correct, while he was rebellious against God at heart. The Lord Jesus spoke of the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. They taught, "Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing, but whoever swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath" (Matt. 23:18). But the Lord called these teachers, "You blind fools! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?" (v. 19). The gift speaks of Christ's sacrifice, but the altar pictures Christ Himself, the basis of the value of the sacrifice. So the altar of Ahaz stands for the false Christ he was bringing in. How dreadful is such an evil as this!

The Lord had the copper altar placed in front of the temple for a reason. It speaks of the only way to come to God, and that way is Christ, the One whose sacrifice cannot be done without. But how many today are like Ahaz, pushing Christ out of the way and despising the value of His perfect sacrifice.

In short, there is a new way of approach. A new religion is set up, and the first is pushed into a corner. At most the bronze altar may serve to "inquire by" (v. 15) — not, as some have said, so that one might think over what to do with it, but to use it for superstitious practices.

If hard problems or danger came, he could use the copper altar. Men today treat Christ the same way — Someone to consult when they are in trouble. But this only amounts to superstition, with no faith at all in Christ Himself. They want Christ only as their servant, not as their Lord.

A king Ahaz, charmed by the beauty of the Syrian altar, may reject the altar of God; but it was the ruin of him and of all Israel. So now men may refuse the preaching of the cross of Christ. As they see it, the cross is either a stumbling block or foolishness. They choose instead an altar for their worship that suits their own taste, and that will not offend the prejudices of the natural man. But, as in the case of Ahaz, it can only end in their everlasting ruin. God only can prescribe the suited way and method of access to Himself.

On this altar of new design Ahaz offers every kind of offering except the one he needed most for himself — the sin-offering. He arrogantly commanded the high priest what to offer on his altar, and how, and when. And the unworthy successor of Jehoiada and Zechariah obeyed slavishly, down to the letter. "Uriah the priest did all this, as King Ahaz commanded." He reversed the apostles' rule, that "we must obey God rather than men." He was of another mind: his eye was on the honour that comes from man; theirs was on the honour that comes from God.

When Uzziah interfered with the order of the house of God the faithful priests resisted him. But when Ahaz sent the pattern of the idolatrous altar from Damascus, Uriah the priest built it for him, and supported the king in his apostasy.

Ahaz was therefore a religious man, but he chose wicked religion above the true worship of the Lord. Christendom has been guilty of the same evil in imitating the false worship of unbelievers. But why did Uriah not have the spiritual strength to resist this evil of the king? Instead of resisting, he fully agreed with this false worship and had the altar built by the time Ahaz returned.

Do we not find something similar in today's religions? Men who profess to be Christians think they can approach God by an altar other than the altar of expiation, and they do not believe in that altar. Like Rezin's altar, theirs is much broader and far better looking than God's. The old-fashioned religious narrowness has given way to broader views, they say. It is no longer the blood of the cross that justifies and redeems the sinner... Its form and its beauty make it infinitely more desirable to the world than the bronze altar. So the bronze altar is taken from its place and set aside (v. 14). It is no longer the one necessary way of approach when a person comes before God in His sanctuary.

The building of a new altar in the Temple by Ahaz, following the pattern of the idol-altar, opened the door wide for unlawful worship in the house of God. He found a willing helper in Uriah (the LORD is light), who conducted the worship "as King Ahaz commanded." And greater profanation followed. He even shut up the doors of the house of the Lord (2 Chron. 28:24), which probably meant a complete stop to the services in the Holy Place. He worshipped the gods of Damascus in connection with this altar (2 Chron. 28:23).

God has provided a priesthood for earth in the family and line of Aaron. Despite that family's failure in the past, He has never set that priesthood aside. Eli's sons were wicked. Uriah went along with Ahaz's proposal (2 Kings 16). Neither of these moved God to transfer the priesthood to another tribe... God, we repeat it, never sets aside a priesthood that He has established. So the Lord Jesus could not possibly have been a Priest on earth.

With shocking irreverence he had placed his Assyrian altar beside the altar of the Lord. He had made it the centre of sacrifice. He then removed the bases of the lavers. He took the sea down from its raised place and set it on a pavement of stones. He also changed the king's way of entry to meet the whims of the king of Assyria. So he lowered the God-given standards of worship, of approach to the House of God, and of purity in that approach, to suit the thoughts and desires of men! God made His commands known to Moses in fine detail, and Moses carried them out to the letter — the divine standard was clear!

He probably made these sacrilegious changes to get the precious metals they were made of.

Ahaz's sacrilege extended to the lavers (v. 17). They served for washing the sacrifices. This showed the complete absence of defilement in Christ, who was offered for expiation. Ahaz removes the lavers from their bases. And here again, do we not find a parallel with what is happening in front of us? People give up the thought of the perfect purity of Christ, the Lamb of God. They make Him subject to the same tendencies we have. They present Him as One tempted by inward lusts — lusts He never yielded to. While keeping the lavers, they remove them from their bases.

The sea stood on oxen. They stand for God's patience toward His people about their practical purification. God could accept that purification only because of His longsuffering in all His ways toward His people. Ahaz took the basin off its base and "put it upon a stone pavement." Is that stone pavement not a striking picture of the nature and heart of man?

The oxen (animals for sacrifice) show that our own purity as priests rests first of all on the value of the sacrifice of Christ. The water in the sea speaks of the Word of God, which purifies. But we are sinners by nature, so the oxen of sacrifice are basic to our purification in practical life. The pavement of stones, though, pictures mankind in their so-called "good works" — a useless (though proud) basis that ungodly men prefer. Mere natural religion always substitutes human merit for Christ!

"The sea was for the priests to wash in." Day after day the priests came there to wash their hands and feet. So they were always fit to go through their work as priests. This is a striking type of God's spiritual priests — of all true believers whose works and ways need to be cleansed by the action of the Word. The bronze laver in the tabernacle and the bronze sea in the temple both pointed forward to that "washing of water by the Word." Christ is carrying that on now by the power of the Holy Spirit.

As we wait for the coming of our beloved Lord, let us always treasure this: "we have an altar" that stands unique in its glory and effect — the cross of Christ. It is through Christ we "have access in one Spirit to the Father." And Christ is the standard of our purity. Nothing the modern Ahaz brings in can challenge the lasting blessedness of these glorious truths.

The covered way for the Sabbath was for the royal worshippers to use on the sabbath. The king's outer entry was the high gate that his father Jotham had so significantly rebuilt. Ahaz appears to have profaned it by giving it over to Tiglath-pileser's use when he worshipped his false gods on his visit to Jerusalem.

Lastly, Ahaz changes the entry of the house of Jehovah (v. 18) which was forbidden to anyone but the king. He does so "because of the king of Assyria." He disowns his own privileges as head of the people of God. He also disowns the "covered way of the sabbath," the privilege of the people themselves. He does all this to avoid offending the world he is serving. Now the king of Assyria may declare himself satisfied! The very foundations of Israel's religion have disappeared — the foundations that set the people apart for God. Why should the world not now come into relationship with the God of Israel through the altar of Damascus? This religion, changed and stripped of its power and its privileges, suits the world perfectly!

Ahaz also removed the Sabbath pavilion that had been built in the temple. He removed the outer entrances from the house of God, "because of the king of Assyria" (v.18). He took away things God had ordained so as not to offend the king of Assyria. Ahaz feared the king of Assyria, but had no fear of God before his eyes. Let us be careful not to allow the opinions of men to influence us against the clear Word of God.

With startling irreverence he had placed his Assyrian altar alongside the altar of Jehovah. He had made it the centre of sacrifice. He then went on to remove the bases of the washing basins. He took down the large basin called the sea from its raised position and put it on a pavement of stones. In the same way he altered the way of the king to meet the whims of the king of Assyria. So Ahaz lowered the standards God had appointed — for worship, for approach to the House of God, and for purity in that approach. He lowered them to fit the thoughts and desires of men! In minute detail God had made known His commands to Moses. Moses had carried them out with great care. The divine standard was clear!

Christ is God's standard, so the standard itself cannot change. Sadly, our appreciation of it and our practice may change a great deal. In the wilderness the manna God gave His earthly people never changed in itself — but their appreciation of it sadly declined. At first it tasted like cake made with honey. Later they wanted something besides the manna. In the end they said they loathed it… It is in Christ, and in the truth about Him, that we see the features of the true Altar, the true approach to God, and the true standard of purity.

In various places the writer points to books which contain more about the life of the king in question. He may have based his accounts on them. He points, for example, to the book of the Acts of Solomon (1 Kings 11:41), and several times to the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel (1 Kings 14:19) and to the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah (1 Kings 14:29)… The author of the books of Kings was able to use these "references" under the guidance of the Holy Spirit while writing his God-inspired work.

Men drew up these chronicles during the reigns of all the rulers of those times, whether Jewish or Gentile. They have nothing to do with the Word of God. They record what it has not pleased the Lord to record or explain. These chronicles have been lost… The believer has no need for any of them; he has God's Word. There, in God's account, he finds all that is necessary for him, as well as the divine evaluation of people, events, and things. Writings that are not inspired may record certain deeds, and even record them with great exactness. But nothing more than human evaluation ever goes with them.

Ahaz was an open opposer of God and His truth. He neglected the temple — shut up the doors — put out the lamps — cut up the vessels, and set up idolatrous altars in every corner of Jerusalem. He also went to Damascus to meet the king of Assyria. There he saw an altar, and he sent a pattern of it to Urijah the priest, who made one like it in Jerusalem. So he put the true altar out of its place and, in a word, overturned the whole order of worship. "This is that king Ahaz."

"His acts," and "his ways"! God too has "ways" and "acts." "He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the people of Israel" (Psalm 103:7). His ways revealed His nature; His acts displayed more of His power. "All his ways," it is said of Ahaz. And what displays of his heart's wickedness did his life of thirty-six years bring out! It is little wonder that the inspiring Spirit led the chronicler to call him "king of Israel" (2 Chron. 28:19) — so like was he to the nineteen idolatrous rulers of the northern kingdom.

"Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?" Yes, and God's books above hold them too, along with the wicked acts recorded here. Those books are not merely the chronicles of the kings of Israel. They hold the deeds and doings of every man's life, whether good or evil. Solemn facts for us all!

The faithful ministry of the prophet Isaiah seems to have had little influence on him. He was a man of artistic taste, it appears, judging by his admiration of the Damascus altar — as even the most ungodly of men may be. He was interested in the sciences too, it would seem, since he brought the Chaldean sundial into Jerusalem. Nor does he seem to have had a persecuting spirit, for unlike his grandson Manasseh he did not shed innocent blood or put the prophets to death. His name means "possessor," and he had much that men admire and praise today. But all this, without godliness, is of absolutely no worth. He seems to have died as he had lived, unrepentant to the last.

Son of Elah and the last king of Israel. He conspired against Pekah and killed him, and reigned in his place, "in the twentieth year of Jotham." But Jotham reigned only 16 years. This probably means that Pekah was killed in the twentieth year after Jotham became king. There was then anarchy for about 9 years, thought to be noticed in Hosea 10. Hoshea began to reign B.C. 730, the twelfth year of Ahaz, which agrees with 2 Kings 17:1.

At least eight years with no king passed between the murder of Pekah, his predecessor, and his own taking of the throne. Why this kingless interval, we have no means of knowing, nor how the time was occupied.

After the split, the Northern Kingdom continued about 260 years. Then the kings of Assyria destroyed it and deported the people. Nineteen kings in all reigned over the ten tribes. Sadly, there was not a single good king among them. Some, it must be said, were more desperate in their wickedness than others.

Hoshea, the murderer of Pekah, reigned nine years in Samaria while doing what was evil in the sight of the Lord. His conduct toward Him was less profane than that of his predecessors. But he took no account of the judgments of God. Through all the prophets God had foretold that Israel would fall under Assyria. Year after year king Hoshea had been sending presents to the king of Assyria. In this he followed one of his predecessors, Menahem.

Hoshea, although less wicked than his predecessors, ends the list of kings whom the patience of God had borne with in Israel. God thought of His people; and now there was no more hope for them. They were not even a vessel fit to hold the election of God, to whom He made Himself known. Brought into subjection to the king of Assyria, Hoshea had sought help from Egypt. After the king of Assyria had put him in prison, Samaria and all Israel could not hold out long.

Israel's last king was Hoshea. His name means "deliverance." It shows what might have been if he and the people had repented of their sins.

His name means deliverer. It may have a prophetic significance, as a gracious reminder to the now long-scattered nation. It points to that great "Deliverer" who will "come from Zion" (God's grace) and "banish ungodliness from Jacob." And then, and so, "all Israel will be saved" (Rom. 11:26).

Hoshea was less wicked than the kings before him. Yet he closes the list of kings whom God's patience had borne with in Israel. God thought of His people; and now there was no more hope of them. They were not even a vessel fit to hold God's election — the people to whom He had made Himself known.

Israel's last king was Hoshea. His name means "deliverance." It shows what might have been if he and the people had repented of their sins. The record of his character is brief: "And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him." This does not mean that he improved. The Assyrian had already taken the golden calves away from Bethel and Dan. So he could no longer sin like Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and the other kings of Israel. Hosea had predicted this (Hosea 10:5-8).

He was the last of the nineteen kings who ruled — or rather misruled — Israel. That last clause gives Hoshea no credit. The Assyrian plunderers had most likely removed and carried away the golden calves of Dan and Bethel. See Hosea 10:5-8. If he did not worship them, or other detestable things, it was not because he "abhorred idols" (Rom. 2:22).

It is interesting to see what the Lord notes here. Hoshea did evil in His sight, but not as the kings of Israel before him did. The Judge of all the earth always does right. He knows the heart and weighs with the balances of the sanctuary.

Hoshea, the murderer of Pekah, reigned nine years in Samaria while doing what was evil in the sight of the Lord. His conduct toward Him was less irreverent than that of the kings before him. But he took no account of the judgments of God. Through all the prophets God had foretold that Israel would come under Assyria.

His Assyrian overlord now imprisoned him. He overran the land with his armies and besieged Samaria for three years, till it fell. He had found treachery in Hoshea. Instead of paying his normal tribute, Hoshea had sent envoys to the king of Egypt to ask for help. Our Lord Jesus plainly declares that no man can serve two masters — an important lesson for us to learn, too.

Hoshea (deliverance) proved anything but that to his people. One alone will bring deliverance to the ten tribes. Israel was taken captive into Assyria and resettled in various places. The ten tribes have never returned from their captivity. They will not return until the Lord Himself brings them back in a day to come.

It seems he had trouble tightening his hold on a kingdom that was now sinking fast. Or perhaps he had to get his right to rule approved by the powerful Assyrians. Either way, he ruled only as a vassal of the Assyrian king.

His conduct toward Him was less godless than that of his predecessors. But he took no account of the judgments of God, by which all the prophets had foretold that Israel would be put under Assyria. Year after year king Hoshea had been sending gifts to the king of Assyria (v. 3). In this he followed one of his predecessors, Menahem, who by gifts had made himself a vassal of the Assyrian king Pul, so that Pul would establish the kingdom in his hands.

But his evil deeds, whatever they were, quickly brought the Assyrian — "the rod of God's anger" — down on him and his wicked subjects… He had conspired against his weaker Israelite master. He tried the same thing, to his sorrow, with his powerful Gentile lord.

God used this power as His rod to chasten His people… It is as if God says to this mighty power: I am using you to chastise My straying people. But if you lift yourself up against Me, I must bring you down.

Nothing in that last clause counts in Hoshea's favour. The Assyrian raiders had most likely already carried away the golden calves of Dan and Bethel… If he did not worship them, or other detestable things, it was not because he "abhorred idols."

It is striking to see the Lord note that Hoshea did evil in His sight, but not like the kings of Israel before him. The Judge of all the earth always does right. He knows the heart, and He weighs it in the balances of the sanctuary.

The prophet speaks of the king's two-faced, untrustworthy conduct: "Ephraim feeds on wind and pursues the east wind; all day long they multiply falsehood and violence; they make a covenant with Assyria, and oil is carried to Egypt" (Hosea 12:1), and again "Ephraim is like a dove, silly and without sense, calling to Egypt, going to Assyria" (Hosea 7:11).

Egypt gave Israel no help and only wounded them badly. Egypt was like a staff that breaks under the weight of the man leaning on it, and then pierces his hand. Whenever God's people turn to Egypt — a picture of the world — for help, and make godless alliances, they do so to their own hurt and shame.

He who conspired against his weaker Israelite master attempted the same — to his sorrow — with his powerful Gentile lord.

The twenty-fifth dynasty was a foreign one, of Ethiopians who reigned in Nubia. Its first king, named Shabaka, or Sabaco, was the So of Scripture. Hoshea, king of Israel, tried to form an alliance with this king in order to break free from his allegiance to Assyria. He made presents to Egypt; but the scheme was not carried out. It led to the capture of Samaria and the captivity of the ten tribes.

The prophet mentions this two-faced, suspicious conduct of the king. "Ephraim feeds on the wind and pursues the east wind all day long; they multiply falsehood and violence; they make a covenant with Assyria, and oil is carried to Egypt" (Hosea 12:1). And again: "Ephraim is like a dove, silly and without sense, calling to Egypt, going to Assyria" (Hosea 7:11). So, discovering Hoshea's conspiracy, Shalmaneser "shut him up and bound him in prison" (v. 4).

The Lord was their help and their rest, but they did not fly back to Him. Like a moth around a flame, they fluttered around Egypt and Assyria, trying to find deliverance there. They went from Egypt to Assyria and from Assyria back to Egypt. They never saw the net spread to destroy them — and that net was Assyria itself. In this net the Lord caught them. Their freedom would end and captivity would begin.

Egypt has been a breaking staff to Israel; a staff of reed, which offered much but never kept its promises, bringing only ruin to all who trusted it. Going down to Egypt for help was the constant snare of the people of God. Yet God had rescued them from that land, and in that rescue they had seen His judgment on it. Yet they could turn back to it again and again. This is an inconsistency that none of us who knows himself can claim to be a stranger to! ... The lesson is as plain as it is basic. It is the lesson, "Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?"

Hoshea, although less wicked than his predecessors, ends the list of kings whom the patience of God had borne with in Israel. God thought of His people; and now there was no more hope for them. They were not even a vessel fit to hold the election of God, to whom He made Himself known. Brought under subjection to the king of Assyria, Hoshea had sought help from Egypt. After the king of Assyria put him in prison, Samaria and all Israel could not hold out long.

What follows, about the siege of Samaria, happened before Hoshea's imprisonment, though the account records it later. "Hoshea's imprisonment did not come before the capture of Samaria. The writer of Scripture first records what finally happened to Hoshea himself, then gives the details of the invasion as it affected Samaria and Israel" (Fausset)... Assyria's own monuments record this siege and capture of Samaria just as 2 Kings 17 tells it.

These inscriptions tell us that the siege of Samaria had lasted two years when Sargon replaced Shalmaneser. Sargon took Samaria in the first year of his reign. The record here does not name Sargon. But note that it does not credit the capture of Samaria to Shalmaneser either. Both passages, 2 Kings 17:6 and 18:10-11, speak only of the king of Assyria.

Hoshea did not take into account the judgments of God by which all the prophets had foretold Israel's subjection to Assyria... These political motives are not given to us in the Word. God's own motive is shown by a word in Chronicles: "So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, the spirit of Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and he took them into exile" (1 Chr. 5:26).

But his evil doings, whatever they were, quickly brought the Assyrian, "the rod of God's anger," on him and his guilty subjects... He had conspired against his weaker Israelite master. He tried the same thing with his powerful Gentile lord, and it cost him dearly.

"Return into the land of Egypt" does not have to mean fleeing there. It means looking there for help. Isaiah 31:1 says the same thing: "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help."

His Assyrian overlord now imprisoned him and overran the land with his armies, besieging Samaria for three years till it fell. He had found treachery in Hoshea. Instead of paying his normal tribute, Hoshea had sent envoys to the king of Egypt to ask for help. Our Lord Jesus says clearly that no one can serve two masters — an important lesson for us to learn, too.

God's patience bore long with the rebellion of His people, and He took pity on their affliction (see 2 Kings 17). That patience lasted as long as it could still be a testimony to the real character of the God who showed it. It never denied His holiness and righteousness. It never gave approval to sin. So God could still bless the people and keep a true testimony to what He is — a testimony even the nations could see. In a word, His patience lasted "until there was no remedy."

This was a sweeping judgment of God against His people Israel, and the ten tribes have never returned to their land since that time... Only a miraculous act of God at the end of the Tribulation will bring His people Israel back to their land.

Hoshea (deliverance) proved anything but that to his people. One alone will bring deliverance to the ten tribes.

Hoshea took no account of the judgments of God, by which all the prophets had foretold that Israel would be brought under Assyria… The Word does not give us the political reasons, but a word in Chronicles shows us the divine reason: "And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tiglath-pileser … and he carried them away" (1 Chr. 5:26).

Hoshea was the last of the nineteen kings who ruled — or rather misruled — Israel… "Hoshea's imprisonment did not come before the capture of Samaria. The sacred writer first records the eventual fate of Hoshea himself, then gives the details of the invasion as it affected Samaria and Israel" (Fausset)… The monuments of Assyria record this siege and capture of Samaria just as 2 Kings 17 tells it.

…it was not Shalmaneser in person who took the city, for we are told, "And at the end of three years they took it" (2 Kings 18:10). During this interval Sargon (Isa. 20:1) had succeeded Shalmaneser, or at least was at the head of the army during a short gap between reigns.

Scripture gives a more definite date for the captivity of the rest of Israel. It was in the ninth year of Hoshea, king of Israel, and the sixth year of Hezekiah, that the Assyrians took Samaria after a three years' siege: this would be 722 B.C. The captives were carried to Halah and Habor by the river of Gozan (the same names appear in 1 Chr. 5:26, with Hara added there). These places are supposed to be in the north of Assyria. But in the passage in Kings the words "and in the cities of the Medes" are added. That region lies much further east. There they would be far removed from their fellow Israelites in Assyria and from Judah, who were afterwards carried to Babylon.

This was a sweeping judgment of God against His people Israel. The ten tribes have never been restored to their land since that time… Now that God has allowed this great scattering of the ten tribes, only a miraculous intervention of God at the end of the Tribulation will bring His people Israel back to their land.

No one knows clearly or certainly where the ten tribes are; nor does it seem to be anyone's business to search it out beforehand. We may leave them in the obscurity where God has put them. If we believe His word, we know that He has preserved the scattered remnant of the two tribes. Just as surely, He will bring the descendants of the ten out of their hiding place.

While God has no obligation to explain to us why He does what He does, in His Word He often does so. As He concludes the story of the ten-tribe kingdom, God gives us a detailed list of particulars in 2 Kings 17:7-23 as to why He brought an end to this kingdom. God has placed it in His Word for our warning and instruction. We do well to examine it. Romans 11:20-21 tells us: "Do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you."

While God has no obligation to explain to us why He does what He does, in His Word He often does so. As He closes the story of the ten-tribe kingdom, God gives us a detailed list of particulars in 2 Kings 17:7-23. They say why He brought this kingdom to an end. God has placed it in His Word for our warning and instruction. We do well to examine it. Romans 11:20-21 tells us: "Do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you."

Verse 7 now reminds Israel that God had kindly brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of Pharaoh's bondage. Yet from that time on they kept on sinning against the Lord, and they feared other gods.

Here we see what the moral claim on their heartfelt obedience rests on. It rests on the revealed character of God, and on His wonderful acts for them. In a word, they were bound to obey — bound by every argument that could possibly work on the heart, the conscience, and the understanding. The One who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, with a mighty hand and outstretched arm... surely He was entitled to their whole-hearted obedience.

When Israel came out of Egypt they had a deep sense of the Lord's care and protection. "Thus says the LORD: What wrong did your fathers find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless? They did not say, 'Where is the LORD who brought us up from the land of Egypt?'" (Jeremiah 2:5-6). What a touching plea for the Lord to bring before His people. Had He changed since that day? No, there was no change on His side. They had lost His presence, and they had no sense of the loss.

They are reminded when and where their idolatry began — in the wilderness... They had not got rid of the gods of Egypt then. They brought these worthless things with them into the wilderness. Now this is charged against them... No doubt that sin was more glaring at the end; the dark stream was always gathering more water... Yet God always goes back to the source. At last He declares that the final blow came because of the first departure.

God is a jealous God who cannot tolerate rivals of any kind for the affections of His people.

The last mention of the ten tribes in Scripture is that instructive chapter, 2 Kings 17. It sets before us God's patience and forbearance on the one hand, and their sins and follies on the other. Their sins and idolatry were the cause of all the calamities that came upon them. The word "therefore" in verse 18 sums it all up and shows this plainly. It was God who stirred up the spirit of the kings of Assyria, and so they were deported. Zechariah 10:10 names one of the places from which they will be brought back in a future day.

Today we do not think of this, because idolatry has passed away. Still, it has its lesson for us. The idol-feasts, with their open immorality, are not around us today. But there are still idols to keep away from, and sinful desires to turn from. We have light and knowledge now. Some things displace God. Some present Him as different from what He is known to be, as revealed in Christ. Some change His truth. None of these can be followed without some form of moral failure.

While God has no obligation to explain to us why He does what He does, yet in His Word He often does so. In 2 Kings 17:7-23 He closes the story of the ten-tribe kingdom. There He gives us a detailed list of the reasons why He brought this kingdom to an end. God has placed it in His Word for our warning and instruction. We do well to examine it. Romans 11:20-21 tells us: "So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you."

From verses 7 to 18 of our chapter God shows what He had done for Israel. He had brought them out of Egypt and led them into Canaan (v. 7). He then speaks of what they had done. First of all they acted "secretly" against the Lord. They walked according to the idolatry of the nations which God had driven out before them. They also walked in the statutes that the kings of Israel, beginning with Jeroboam I, had set up to found and maintain their national religion of the calves of Dan and Bethel.

Israel were not to make themselves unclean in any of these things, as the nations of Canaan did in all of them — the nations He drove out before Israel. How much guiltier, then, would Israel be! The very land was made unclean. So He punished it for that iniquity. The earth vomited out its inhabitants. Israel must beware, then, not only for themselves but for any foreigner living among them, in case the land should vomit them out as well, as it had the nations that lived there before Israel. Such evil was intolerable in His eyes, and even more offensive in His own people than in anyone else. The Jews soon forgot that truth, as Christendom did later.

The land they were going to was casting out its inhabitants for these sins. And the warning to them was plain: if they practiced such things, it would cast them out too. God's righteousness is equal to all His creatures and Israel, now cast out of their land, are witnesses to it.

This "feast" of Jeroboam's copied the feast of tabernacles, which God had commanded Israel to keep in the seventh month. The eighth was the month Jeroboam "had devised of his own heart" — a heart always "deceitful" and "desperately wicked." And how many practices and customs in Christendom have been "devised" of men's own hearts which have no foundation in Scripture! Many seem to think that in spiritual things it is quite all right for "every man" to do "that which is right in his own eyes," instead of "Thus says the Lord."... It is the thoughts of God's heart, not mine, that I am to heed and put into practice.

Now God Himself sums up this long history of Israel. It begins in Exodus and ends in our chapter. Not that it is over for good. It is over only as far as this people and its kings are concerned, viewed as responsible. The heart of the prophet Hosea, moved with divine compassion, announces Israel's future restoration.

Adding to their disobedience, they did secretly things they knew were not right against the Lord (v.9). Were they so dense they did not consider that the Lord sets "our secret sins in the light of His presence"? (Ps. 90:8). But unbelief does not give God credit for being who He is. They also built for themselves (not for God) high places in all their cities. These high places were for professed worship, but God had told them their worship must be in the place that He would choose — Jerusalem.

It is not necessarily only in the day of judgment that this takes place: the Lord may deal with it now. "You did it secretly," says God through Nathan to David, "but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun."

The Canaanite nations seem to have had a custom of setting up places of worship for their false gods on various heights. They chose these sites according to their own Satan-controlled desires... The Israelites were to destroy all the high places of the heathen, and so show their horror at their wicked ways. But human nature is no better in those who are near to God than in those far from Him. The time soon came when Israel chose high places for themselves. Some were for idol worship, and some for the worship of the Lord. But all the high places were offensive in His sight, whatever the motives of those who set them up. They were the expression of self-will, of hearts not subject to His commandments.

Departure from God took its outward form in Israel by making "high places" for themselves. It was simply a heathen habit, playing on the imagination with a worship that has no heart in it... So on the mountain tops a man could imagine himself nearer to God than in the valleys. The depths of groves and forests helped too. Along with the beauty of nature, they made him think he was nearer to the God of nature than he really was.

God shows what He had done for Israel: He delivered them from Egypt and brought them into Canaan. He then speaks of what they had done. First of all they acted "secretly" against the Lord, following the idolatry of the nations that God had driven out before them... They had also set up high places and male and female idols everywhere — in their fortified cities and even as far as the watchman's tower. In this they went to greater excess than Judah.

True, people offered the sacrifices and incense to the Lord. But Scripture said Jerusalem was "the place where people ought to worship." Many godly Israelites probably counted this departure unimportant. It only paved the way for greater and more serious breaches of the law. God's people are only safe as they hold carefully and closely to the very letter of the word of God. The slightest digressions are often the prelude to wide and grave departures from obedience to God's will as revealed in His Word.

To ignore this Centre that God has provided, and to turn to human thoughts, is really to worship in the high places. It means choosing places and ways of worship that the word of God does not provide for. There is no question that many do this in all sincerity. God meets His people in grace according to the measure of their faith.

asherah, asherath. The word 'grove' suggests a row of trees. But that cannot be the meaning, since groves were set up 'under every green tree.' 1 Kings 14:23; 2 Kings 17:10. … the groves were made of wood, as we learn from the fact that they were cut down and burned. Judges 6:25-26; 2 Kings 23:14-15. … They constantly appear together with idols and images, and Judges 3:7 speaks of them being served along with the Baals.

They set up for themselves sacred pillars and wooden images on high hills and under green trees. They would no doubt say that these things were to remind them of God. But God had forbidden such things. Using them always lowered God in their estimation, so that the things themselves eventually became the objects of their worship.

So on the mountain-tops man could imagine himself nearer to God than in the valleys. The deep groves and forests helped too. With the beauty of nature, they made him think he was nearer to the God of nature than he truly was. There is indeed a witness to God in all these things: who would wish to deny it? … Still, this is just where man so often makes the fatal mistake. He puts what is only natural in place of what is spiritual, and so deceives himself.

The Lord would choose His own centre, and His people had to come there with their burnt offerings and sacrifices… The time soon came, alas, when Israel chose high places for themselves. Some of these were for idolatrous worship, and some for the worship of Jehovah. But all the high places offended Him, whatever the motives of those who set them up. They expressed a self-will that invents its own ways. They came from hearts not subject to His commandments.

Fresh privileges would be only fresh opportunity for evil. God had now brought them into a land of high hills, with trees that showed its richness. These became their places of idol worship. There they lifted up offerings that provoked Him, while claiming the offerings were for Him… So everywhere, across the countryside and the city alike, they had written out their sentence.

"High places" for idol worship had dotted the whole land. In the shade of every green tree the people practised the vile customs of the surrounding nations. In spirit and in fact, these unholy, unclean rites deserved the name of harlotry that the prophets so often give them. What could God do with such a nation but put them away?

The nations did this in high places, in mountains and hills and in lovely wooded areas. Many people today think the same way. They tell us they need no gathering of saints to the name of the Lord Jesus to worship, but feel closer to God outside, enjoying the beauties of nature. But Israel had to destroy this worship completely. They were to break down the pillars, burn the wooden images and cut down the carved images. No trace of these things was to be left.

They set up for themselves sacred pillars and wooden images on high hills and under green trees. They would no doubt say that these things were to remind them of God. But God had forbidden such things. Using them always lowered God in their eyes, so that in the end the things themselves became the objects of their worship. They burned incense (which speaks of worship) in the high places "like the nations" whom God had driven out for such evil. And they did wicked things that provoked the anger of the Lord.

It seems to have been the custom of the nations of Canaan to set up places of worship for their false gods on various heights, which they chose to suit their own Satan-controlled desires. Jehovah told His people about the ways of these nations, and forbade them to imitate them. His Word alone must govern them in everything to do with worship, as in everything else. Jehovah would choose His own centre, and His people must come there with their burnt offerings and sacrifices. The Israelites were to destroy all the high places of these nations, and so show their horror at their wicked ways. But flesh is no better in those who are near to God than in those who are far from Him. The time soon came, sadly, when Israel chose high places for themselves. Some of these were for idolatrous worship, and some for the worship of Jehovah. But all the high places offended Him, whatever the motives of those who set them up. They were the expression of self-will in the creature, of hearts not subject to His commandments.

He despised God's centre, Jerusalem, so he made centres all through Judah. Many locations made their worship more convenient. Satan likes to make people feel at ease, with no exercise of heart and conscience to know and to obey the Word of God. So he has religions of every kind to cater to the fleshly desires of everyone. But such things provoked the Lord to anger.

Israel was not to become unclean in any of these things. The nations of Canaan did all these things, and He cast them out before Israel. How much guiltier, then, would Israel be! The very land was made unclean... For such evil was intolerable in His eyes, and yet more offensive in His own people than in any other; a truth soon forgotten among the Jews, and later in Christendom. It is by receiving the good that is from God, His word and above all His Christ, that souls are kept from evil.

The patience of God bore long with the rebellion of His people, and He took pity on their affliction (see 2 Kings 17). It lasted as long as this patience could be a testimony to the real character of the God who showed it. Such patience did not deny holiness and righteousness, nor give a sanction to sin. So it was still possible to bless the people without sacrificing all true testimony to what God is, even in the eyes of the nations; in a word, "until there was no remedy."

"In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria, and he carried the Israelites away to Assyria..." Read the whole chapter, which gives the account of this. These tribes have never been restored.

The sons of Israel of all men had the least excuse for idolatry. They heard His voice out of the middle of the fire. They begged for a mediator in case they should die. They saw no form. And they heard Him condemn the pagan practice of representing Him by any likeness of a creature in heaven above, on earth beneath, or in the waters below. He could not be the true God if He allowed people to bow down to another god. Real service must belong to Him alone.

What were they, these idol-images? Simply matter — silver and gold — shaped by men's hands! It has a mouth and eyes. We say that both of these "speak," and each is in its own way a "witness" for the man himself, a pointer to what is in the heart. But the idol gives its worshipper no response by word or look. In fact, it senses nothing. It does not hear the voice that cries to it. It does not notice the smell of incense or of sacrifice. It can stretch out no hand to help. Its foot will not move to bring relief. Not even a murmur of sound is in the idle throat. What can these senseless gods do but drag the men who bow before them down into beings as senseless? And this is the just penalty on those who can forsake God to follow their own inventions.

They set up for themselves sacred pillars and wooden images on high hills and under green trees. They would no doubt say that these things were there to remind them of God. But God had forbidden such things. Using them always lowered God in their eyes, until the things themselves became the objects of their worship.

In every age, nothing shows the gap between God's word and men's thoughts so clearly as this: people treat idols and strange gods lightly, and God hates that, above all in His own people. It may not be any deliberate plan to give up His worship. It may only be what they count a small thing — going along with idolatry now and then while still professing His name. But God refuses any such unholy compromise outright. He does so quite apart from a further danger: those who allow it may revolt from Him completely. It strikes at His majesty, at holiness and truth, and is intolerable in His eyes.

You do not have to bow down to a block of wood or a stone to be an idolater. Whatever commands the heart is an idol. Giving the heart to that thing is idolatry, and the one who gives it is an idolater.

And this image of jealousy is still what threatens us all. It stands, as it were, at the very entrance when we would come near to God Himself. And it need not be a visible or open image to do this. What we are really doing is trying to have a god that fits our own thoughts. Such a god always stands against the true God. What a warning that is for us.

Now God Himself sums up this long history of Israel which begins in Exodus and ends in our chapter. It is not over for good. It is over only for this people and its kings, viewed as responsible.

Israel was now nearing its bitter end, with Judah's ruin in full view. The fact that God raised up prophets proved that the end was near, because prophecy only comes in when people depart from God. When things run smooth and fair, there is no revelation of this kind, and morally it is not needed. In days of comparative faithfulness, what we get is a setting out of privilege and duty. But God's people may despise the privilege and leave the duty undone. When their guilt is obvious and judgment must follow, prophecy comes. It tells of God judging the evil, yet also of mercy and even better blessing for the obedient remnant.

Both Testaments use the term "bondmen" in a narrow and restricted sense. It described the prophets of old (Amos 3:7; Dan. 9:6; 2 Kings 17:13), and also the apostles and others of reputation in the Church (Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:7, see Greek).

The prophets' ministry was very different from the law considered on its own. The law left no room for repentance. It demanded obedience. When it did not get obedience, it had nothing to announce or give but condemnation and the curse. The Lord required obedience — steady, unbroken obedience. He was not asking for repentance and a return to obedience. But God sent the prophets to propose, as it were, new terms... It was a further test — a milder one — to prove whether it was in the heart or will of man to turn to God, and serve and obey Him.

In His goodness, God has kept renewing His testimony. In His patience He has sent His prophets, rising up early to send them, as it is said, until there was no remedy (see Jer. 7). Last of all He sent His own Son. The result, as we have already said, is that all the righteous blood, from Abel to Zacharias, came upon one generation. They filled up the measure of their fathers' wickedness by rejecting God's last witness.

When the people of Nineveh heard God's word, they believed it and put on sackcloth. Their king led the way, calling for a fast and for sackcloth, and he added, "let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands" (Jonah 3:8). Then we read, "When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that He had said He would do to them, and He did not do it" (Jonah 3:10). How very sad it is to see God's people Israel refuse His offers of mercy. They were just as evil as the Ninevites, but with less excuse, since they had more light. They would not turn from their evil ways.

While God has no obligation to explain to us why He does what He does, in His Word He often does so. As He closes the story of the ten-tribe kingdom, God gives us a detailed list in 2 Kings 17:7-23. It sets out why He brought this kingdom to an end. God has placed it in His Word for our warning and instruction. We do well to examine it. Romans 11:20-21 tells us: "Do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you."

So he tells them to circumcise the foreskin of their heart — that is, to cut off the selfish, fleshly desires of their heart. They are to "be stiff-necked no longer." Being stiff-necked refers to the stubbornness of wanting our own way.

Over and over again they refused every appeal of the Lord. They stiffened their necks in stubborn rebellion against His authority (v.14). So, having given up any respect for God Himself, they were free to reject His statutes and the covenant He had made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They wanted freedom to do their own will, and followed the folly of other nations. They did not realise that such freedom was only painful bondage to sin (v.15).

This is not the blatant breaking of the law through human tradition, but unbelief — the source of all disobedience. In the language the Holy Spirit uses, unbelief and disobedience differ only by a shade. The first is the root; the second is the fruit… All their disobedience toward God flowed from unbelief of Him, and so from a wrong view of their own moral condition.

The history that follows shows that the children were like their fathers. The flesh learns nothing from its own failure, or from the failure of past generations. It never changes.

Suppose a child grows up knowing his father's dishonour, and hears of his disgrace and punishment. Would not that sin look especially hateful to him, if he had any right feeling? His father's evil ways would always stand before him as a public example. But suppose the son treats it lightly, and uses it as encouragement to walk the same path. Is it not just that a still more severe punishment should fall on that son?

They served idols even though the Lord had warned them not to do such things. He testified against them when they did so. He sent many prophets to command them to turn from their wicked ways and keep God's commandments (vv.12-13).

We can trace the patience and goodness of God as displayed in them… But a time came when there was no remedy. Israel would not hear; God's people would have none of His reproofs. As that time drew near, the prophetic messages grew more frequent. They warned the people of the coming judgments, but they also told them of the future and final blessing.

Such is the attitude of foolish unbelief. Ahab is a sad witness to the truth of Proverbs 29:1, "He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing."

Again and again they refused every appeal of the Lord. They stiffened their necks in stubborn rebellion against His authority (v.14). They had given up any respect for God Himself. So they were quite free to reject His statutes and His covenant that He had made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They wanted freedom to do their own will, following the folly of other nations. They did not realise that this freedom was only painful bondage to sin (v.15).

What were they, these idol-images? Simply matter — silver and gold — shaped by human hands! Mouth and eyes are all there... But the idol gives its worshipper no response by word or look. He is aware of nothing: the voice that cries to him he does not hear, the smell of incense or of sacrifice he does not notice. He can stretch out no hand to help, no foot of his will move to bring relief, not even a murmur of sound is in that idle throat. What can these senseless gods do but degrade the men who bow before them into beings just as senseless? And this is the fair penalty on those who can forsake God to follow what are plainly their own inventions.

People are made so that they must worship. If they do not worship the true God, they will inevitably worship some false god. I say "inevitably" for a reason. Some claim not to believe in any God at all. Even these turn out to be worshippers of something or other that stands towards them in the place of God.

How little the nations of the earth learned about God and His word from the way Israel acted! Instead, His name was blasphemed continually because of their ways. They should have held the high and holy and happy ground of loving obedience to God's commandments. Instead they sank to the level of the nations around them. They adopted their habits, worshipped their gods, and walked in their ways. So those nations never saw the lofty wisdom, purity, and moral glory of God's statutes. They saw only the weakness, folly, and moral degradation of a people who boasted of holding the very words that condemned them.

When Israel came out of Egypt they had a deep sense of the Lord's care and protection. "Thus says the LORD: 'What wrong did your fathers find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless?'" (Jeremiah 2:5). What a moving plea for the Lord to lay before His people. Had He changed since that day? No, there was no change on His side. They had lost His presence, and they were unaware of the loss.

While God has no obligation to explain to us why He does what He does, in His Word He often does so. As He closes the story of the ten-tribe kingdom, God gives us a detailed list of particulars in 2 Kings 17:7-23 as to why He brought this kingdom to an end. God has placed it in His Word for our warning and instruction. We do well to examine it. Romans 11:20-21 tells us: "Do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you."

Leaving the commandments of God, what else could they find as a substitute? Only the worship of idols. So verse 16 refers back to the great sin of Jeroboam in making two golden calves... and making these the centres of Israel's worship. But once a thing like this is done, the evil does not stop there. They then began to worship all the host of heaven, having "many gods and many lords" (1 Cor. 8:5), and Baal became a favourite idol.

This form of idolatry is more plausible than disowning God altogether and setting up an idol instead. But it is just as truly idolatry, and God punished it in a way no one could miss. The same worship existed in Egypt with the bull Apis, said to represent the god Osiris. This may have given the Israelites the idea of making a calf. Jeroboam repeated the same sin, because he was afraid his people would go up to Jerusalem to worship: he set up two calves, one in Bethel and one in Dan, and proclaimed, "Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt" (1 Kings 12:28-33). Idolatry did not stop there with Israel, for they went on to worship "all the host of heaven, and served Baal." 2 Kings 17:16.

Jeroboam repeated the sin of Aaron and the people of Israel at the foot of Sinai, where God had already spoken the solemn words: "You shall have no other gods before me." It has been argued that Jeroboam was really worshipping Jehovah, but with the aid of visible images. This is urged today to excuse blatant idolatry. The Bible does not support this. It says plainly: "This thing became a sin." God does not need an image for people to worship Him. In fact, the very idea is condemned throughout Scripture.

The word "grove" naturally suggests a row of trees. But that cannot be the meaning, since groves were set up "under every green tree"... The groves were made of wood, as we learn from them being cut down and burnt... They are regularly linked with idols and images, and Judges 3:7 speaks of them being served along with the Baals.

The "groves" so often mentioned in the history of Ahab and Elijah were really statues of Ashtoreth. Baal seems to have represented the sun, and Ashtoreth the moon. In God's charge against the Northern Kingdom, as the people went into captivity in Assyria, we read that they "made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal" (2 Kings 17:16). Note how "all the host of heaven" is here linked with Baal. In Jer. 7:18 Ashtoreth is called "the queen of heaven." From Job 31:26-27 we gather that honouring the sun and moon was the earliest form of idolatry.

The idolatry of Jeroboam stayed with Israel until they went into captivity, and was an outstanding cause of it. As it is written: "Jeroboam drove Israel from following the LORD and made them commit great sin... they did not depart from them, until the LORD removed Israel out of His sight... So Israel was exiled from their own land to Assyria until this day" (2 Kings 17:21–23).

This evil worship led to other abuses. Parents made their sons and daughters pass through the fire and offered them as sacrifices. They thought that such horrible evil would gain favour with God or with their gods (v.17).

Witchcraft and soothsaying went along with such abuses. People used witchcraft to call down curses on others. Soothsaying is predicting the future in order to soothe people. This is how evil spirits claim to predict the future: they make people feel good. The false prophets did this when they tried to make Ahab comfortable about going to fight for Ramoth Gilead (1 Kings 22:12). Only Michaiah prophesied the truth, that Ahab would die in his attempt to gain Ramoth Gilead (1 Kings 22:17).

Israel "sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord," that is, they in effect sold themselves as slaves to satanic power.

It is the condition of us all, though we may discover it only when the light of the gospel shines upon our fallen state.

Though the Lord bore patiently with Israel for years, yet the day finally came when He removed them from their land, leaving only the tribe of Judah at that time (v.18). Yet Judah is mentioned also as having failed to keep the commandments of the Lord, following too in the way of Israel. So the writing was on the wall for Judah also, but the godliness of some of their kings delayed the captivity of Judah for some years.

Finally He removed Israel out of His sight as a nation. Yet His all-knowing love knows where each person is. And nothing will frustrate His purposes, which are secure in Christ.

The Lord bore patiently with Israel for years. Yet the day came when He removed them from their land, leaving only the tribe of Judah at that time (v.18). Judah, too, had failed to keep the commandments of the Lord, following in the way of Israel. So the writing was on the wall for Judah too. But the godliness of some of their kings delayed Judah's captivity for some years.

The Lord had testified against Israel and against Judah by all the prophets. Had they listened to these? No. They had abandoned the commandments of the covenant and given themselves up to a terrible falling away from God. Verses 14 to 17 describe it in every part. Finally, in His anger God removed them from before His face, and "None was left but the tribe of Judah only." That was no doubt for a short time, yet God still recognised Judah, as Hosea said: "Ephraim has surrounded me with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit; but Judah still walks with God, and with the holy things of truth" (Hosea 11:12).

They set up for themselves sacred pillars and wooden images on high hills and under green trees. They would no doubt say that these things were to remind them of God. But God had forbidden such things. Using them always lowered God in their eyes, until the things themselves became the objects of their worship.

The king of Assyria besieged Samaria for three years, finally taking it and all Israel, and moved the captives to areas in Assyria, to Halah and the cities of the Medes. This was a sweeping judgment of God against His people Israel, and the ten tribes have never returned to their land since that time… God has now allowed this great dispersion of the ten tribes. Only a miraculous act of God at the end of the Tribulation will bring His people Israel back to their land.

They had proved themselves rebellious to the royal house that God Himself had chosen for them. They completed that rebellion by falling away from God altogether. After they ignored His warnings, He swept away the ten tribes of Israel first, as a most solemn lesson to those who remained. But Judah was deaf and blind to what God was pointing out through guilty Israel.

Judah learned no lesson from the ruin of their brothers. For 130 years more the Lord bore with their evil ways, and then gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar… On the ground of responsibility everything is lost. But grace will yet more than restore what Solomon and Israel so foolishly threw away.

Not that it is ended for good. It is ended only as far as this people and its kings are concerned, viewed as responsible. The heart of the prophet Hosea, moved with divine compassion, announces Israel's future restoration. Hosea writes: "My heart is turned within me, my compassion is stirred. I will not carry out the fierceness of my anger. I will not again destroy Ephraim, for I am God, and not man."

In verses 19-20 God mentions Judah in passing. Judah had followed the rules set up by the ten tribes, and the Lord was rejecting all the descendants of Israel.

The kings of Israel set the deadly example of a path that led Judah and all Israel to ruin (see 2 Kings 16:3). The pious Jehoshaphat's alliance with Ahab was the origin of all this, for evil bears fruit which continues long to reproduce itself. Alas! What is man when he turns aside from the Lord's ways? He leaves the narrow, straight path of God's word and will. He leaves the path of faith — the true path of an obedient spirit.

Jeroboam's "feast" copied the Feast of Tabernacles, which God had commanded to be kept in the seventh month. The eighth month was the month Jeroboam "devised of his own heart" — a heart that is always "deceitful" and "desperately wicked." And how many practices and customs in the Christian world have been "devised" out of men's own hearts, with no foundation in Scripture! Many seem to think that in spiritual things it is fine for "every man to do what is right in his own eyes," instead of "This is what the Lord says."

Judah learned no lesson from the ruin of her fellow tribes. For another 130 years the Lord bore with her evil ways. In the end He gave her into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.

Israel's uncleanness was well known, and God had called her back in vain. But Judah was even more treacherous. She despised the warning though she knew better, and sinned even more brazenly.

Though the land lay desolate, God was caring for the land of His inheritance. He was claiming His rights over it and would not let them be taken away. He would not have the land fall again under the curse from which He freed it when He destroyed the Canaanites. Whatever the ruin, the name of the Lord must not be wiped out of the land of Israel. This was with the future in view, for the remnant — the true Israel — is to inherit the land.

The "throne of the Lord," set up in Jerusalem, was overthrown, and David's lamp was put out. On the ground of responsibility all is lost, but grace will yet more than restore what Solomon and Israel so foolishly threw away. God has pledged Himself that David will never lack a man to sit on his throne. Christ is the fulfilment of this.

Again and again God warned His people through prophets and seers. He told them to turn from their evil ways and keep His commandments and statutes. But the people refused to hear. They had rejected His statutes and covenant and testimonies. They had followed the ways of the nations around them. They had sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger.

In verses 19-20 God mentions Judah as in passing. This latter had followed the statutes established by the ten tribes, and the Lord was rejecting all the seed of Israel. But from verses 20-24 He returns to Ephraim and to its separation from the house of David.

Verse 20 goes back to Israel, however. It speaks of God's rejection of these 10 tribes. He afflicted them and delivered them into the hand of plunderers, and it ended in their captivity by Assyria.

The Lord bore with Israel patiently for years. But the day came at last when He removed them from their land, leaving only the tribe of Judah at that time (v.18). Yet Judah also failed to keep the commandments of the Lord, walking in Israel's way too. So the writing was on the wall for Judah also, but the godliness of some of their kings delayed the captivity of Judah for some years.

The "throne of the Lord," established in Jerusalem, was overthrown, and David's lamp went out. All is lost on the ground of responsibility, but grace will yet more than restore what Solomon and Israel so foolishly threw away.

All exhortation was in vain. They "sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel" (2 Kings 17:17-20). And so the name Lo-ammi, "not my people" (Hosea 1), stood over the nation. But one day they will walk another road. As the ransomed of the Lord they will return and come to Zion with songs. That road bears witness that God's first purpose for them was never set aside, but will be carried out in full — their separation from evil, which their sin has only marred for a time.

While God has no obligation to explain to us why He does what He does, yet in His Word He often does so. As He concludes the story of the ten-tribe kingdom, God gives us a detailed bill of particulars in 2 Kings 17:7-23 as to why He brought an end to this kingdom. God has placed it in His Word for our warning and instruction. We do well to examine it. Romans 11:20-21 tells us: "Do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you."

It was God who tore Israel from the house of David after Solomon's death. Jeroboam then became king. He drove Israel from following the Lord and caused them to commit a great sin. Their bad condition showed in their willingness to follow a wicked leader and accept all his sinful decrees and actions.

Ahijah the prophet meets Jeroboam outside Jerusalem. He tears the new garment he is wearing — the kingdom itself was still quite new — and gives ten parts to Jeroboam. At that very moment the kingdom is torn out of Solomon's hands, although this only becomes clear later. One tribe is left to the house of David, because of grace's free choice toward David and Jerusalem.

No doubt it was a judgment of the Lord against Solomon, and God ordered it as such. But on the other hand it was the fruit of the evil heart of Israel. The temple of God at Jerusalem meant little to them once they thought of becoming a nation independent of Judah. Even so, Israel might never have dreamed of piecing together a new religion of its own out of scraps, if Jeroboam's political aims had not pushed the people onto this path. He was a complete stranger to the fear of God.

He judged by human wisdom and forgot the fear of Jehovah. So he made two golden calves. Shared worship was a powerful link, and he wanted it broken, so that it would no longer tie his subjects to Judah and Jerusalem. He had to set up a new priesthood. Everything about worship he invented out of his own heart. Israel's sin became a fixed rule, and the phrase "Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin" became the sad title of their first king.

He appointed priests from among the common people, and sacrifices were offered and feast days invented. So the nation, led by their king, sank at once into open idolatry. It is a warning to everyone in the Christian world who invents forms of worship out of his own heart.

Jeroboam stands out in the Old Testament as the great division maker. Under him the great mass of God's people, ten of the twelve tribes, broke away from God's centre at that time. Again and again, like a death knell, the Spirit marks this man out with these sad words: "Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin." … Personal sins are bad enough. But to turn God's people away from the centre which He has set up — what could be worse?

Wickedness in a man who holds an office of trust is worse, and rightly treated as more serious, than the same evil would be in someone under him.

What Jeroboam brought in went on dishonouring Jehovah until He removed Israel from the land. Eighteen kings sat on Israel's throne after Jeroboam. Of almost every one the record says that he followed, or did not turn from, the ways of Jeroboam, who made Israel to sin.

This is that Jeroboam who "drove Israel from following the LORD and made them commit great sin" (2 Kings 17:21). God has placed the stamp of eternal infamy on his name.

Maybe Israel would never have dreamed of forging a new religion for itself out of bits and pieces. But the political aims of Jeroboam, a complete stranger to the fear of God, forced the people onto this path. "Jeroboam drove Israel from following the Lord and made them commit great sin" (v. 21). On the other hand, "the people of Israel walked" (so they were themselves guilty) "in all the sins that Jeroboam did. They did not depart from them" (v. 22). And Israel was carried away to Assyria.

Their bad condition was exposed by their willingness to follow a wicked leader and accept all his sinful decrees and actions (v. 22).

The golden calves were a political religion, and it suited the policy of the ten tribes to keep it. If the ten tribes had no calves of gold, they would have gone back to their loyalty to the Lord in Jerusalem. The calves were the great means of having another centre... To make a kingdom he had to make a religion. Dissolve a bond as important as a shared religion, and men's minds divide; then you cannot count on them in politics.

"And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord: he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin." How painfully this often-repeated testimony falls on the ear! It sounds like a sad refrain. But this is the last time. Under Hoshea, Pekah's slayer and successor, God made "to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel" (Hosea 1:4).

One person's sin becomes far more serious when it turns into a stumbling block for others. Its consequences fall on those who drag the ignorant and the unsteady down the path of their own disobedience.

Jeroboam stands out in the Old Testament as the great division maker. Under him the great mass of God's people, ten of the twelve tribes, broke away from God's centre at that time. Again and again, like a death knell, the Spirit marks out this man with the same sad words: "Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin."

The history of the ten tribes is a tale of evil with no redeeming feature. Then we come to 2 Kings 17. Under their last king, Hoshea, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up and led the nation of Israel away captive... These tribes have never been restored.

It is not finished for good. It is finished only for this people and its kings, seen as responsible. Divine compassion moves the heart of the prophet Hosea, and he announces their future restoration: "My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender. I will not execute my burning anger... for I am God and not a man, the Holy One in your midst."

The Lord had testified against Israel and against Judah through all the prophets. Did they listen? No. They had abandoned the commandments of the covenant and given themselves up to terrible apostasy. Verses 14 to 17 describe every side of it. In the end, in His anger, God removed them from before His face, and "none was left but the tribe of Judah only."

God is under no obligation to explain why He does what He does. Yet in His Word He often does. As He closes the story of the ten-tribe kingdom, God gives us a detailed list of charges in 2 Kings 17:7-23, showing why He brought this kingdom to an end. He has placed it in His Word to warn us and teach us. We do well to study it. Romans 11:20-21 tells us: "Do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you."

"Jeroboam drove Israel from following the LORD and made them commit great sin" (v. 21). But on the other hand, "the people of Israel walked" — so they were guilty themselves — "in all the sins that Jeroboam did. They did not depart from them" (v. 22). And so Assyria carried Israel away.

The idolatry of Jeroboam remained with Israel until they were led into captivity, and was an outstanding cause of it.

In the end He removed Israel out of His sight as a nation. Yet in His all-knowing love He knows exactly where each individual is. And nothing will frustrate His purposes, which are secure in Christ.

This was a sweeping judgment of God against His people Israel, and the ten tribes have never returned to their land since that time... God has allowed this great scattering of the ten tribes. Now only a miraculous act of God at the end of the Tribulation will bring His people Israel back to their land.

No one knows clearly or certainly where the ten tribes are. It does not seem to be anyone's business to search for them ahead of time. We may leave them in the obscurity that God has put them in. If we believe His word, we know this: He has kept the scattered remnant of the two tribes, and just as surely He will bring the descendants of the ten out of their hiding place... "They shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms" (Ezek. 37:22). God will fulfill every letter of the promises. Scripture cannot be broken.

The king of Assyria wanted to make sure the Israelites could never take their land back. So he brought people from other areas east of Canaan to replace them (v.24). But God was jealous for His land, and because the new settlers had no fear of God, He sent lions among them, killing some of them (v.25).

A place conquered by Assyria, and from where people were sent to colonise Samaria.

These idolatrous nations, brought into the land of Israel, did not fear the Lord. He sent lions among them, which killed them. Despite its desolation, God was caring for the land of His inheritance. He was asserting His rights over it and would not let those rights be taken away. He would not let the land fall again under the curse He had freed it from when He destroyed the Canaanites. However great the ruin, the name of the Lord must not disappear completely from the land of Israel. God had the future in view, for the remnant, the true Israel, is to inherit the land.

When the Assyrians were planted in the ruined cities of Israel they set up their old Assyrian religion, and the Lord sent lions among them. They understood it. Man has a conscience. They knew it was a voice from the God of Israel. It was the God of Israel that claimed that land. No doubt they thought they could win Him over by reviving the old worship of Israel. In their folly they sent for a priest of Israel from among the captives, and so the old religion came back — a very strange mixture of the nominal worship of the LORD and real idolatry. But so it was. This was the start, not of the Samaritan kingdom, but of the Samaritan religion — a mixture of Judaism and idolatry carried on by pagans.

The king of Assyria sent them one of the priests he had carried away captive, to "teach them the manner of the god of the land". But this priest had himself supported the dreadful mixture of idolatry with the worship of the true God. So he could teach them nothing but his own corruption... This is obvious, yet it must still be pressed home: a corrupted religion cannot lead people on in the truth. It will always shape them after its own pattern.

They say, "We do sacrifice to Him" — that is, to God — "since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here." In this way they revealed their true origin. By their own confession they were not the children of Abraham but Assyrians. So they had no claim to belong to the children of Israel. These were, in fact, the fathers of the Samaritans (see 2 Kings 17:24-41)... We may learn for ourselves from this incident the source of one of the gravest dangers in the work of the Lord. The kisses of an enemy are both deceitful and dangerous, though it seems so ungracious to refuse the offered help of professed friends.

People in the Lord's day were right to see the Samaritans as a corrupt race. The beginning of their history is recorded in 2 Kings 17:24-41... In the end they became a corrupt people who "feared the LORD, and served their own gods". So they had some dim knowledge of the Lord, and they knew the Messiah was coming.

These idolatrous nations, brought into the land of Israel, did not fear the Lord. He sent lions among them, which killed them. Though the land lay desolate, God was caring for the land of His inheritance. He was asserting His rights over it, and would not let them be taken away. He would not have the land fall again under the curse He had freed it from when He destroyed the Canaanites. Whatever the ruin, the name of the Lord must not be wiped out of the land of Israel. And this was with the future in view, for the remnant, the true Israel, is to inherit the land.

When the Assyrians were planted in the ruined cities of Israel they set up their old Assyrian religion, and the Lord sent lions among them. They understood it. Man has a conscience. They knew it was a voice from the God of Israel. It was the God of Israel who claimed that land.

When foreigners replaced Israel in their land, the Lord allowed lions to attack and kill some of them. They assumed this happened because they did not know the character of "the god of the land." Their fears were not moved by conscience toward God, but by superstition. All they needed, they considered, was to know the rituals of the religion of Israel.

The king of Assyria sent them one of the priests who had been taken away captive, to "teach them the manner of the god of the land." But this priest had himself supported the dreadful mixture of idolatry with the worship of the true God. So he could teach them nothing but his own corruption... A corrupted religion cannot lead people on in the truth. It will always shape them after its own pattern. Obvious as that is, it still has to be pressed home.

And so the old religion came back — a very strange mixture of worship of the LORD in name and real idolatry. This is how the Samaritan religion began. Not the Samaritan kingdom, but the Samaritan religion — Judaism and idolatry mixed together and carried on by foreign settlers.

Notice how this whole passage sets the fear of the Lord, this beginning of wisdom, before the conscience of the people, and of the nations too. God told Israel not to fear other gods, but to fear Him alone and worship Him alone. In this short passage the expression "fear the LORD" occurs eleven times! Everything else depended on this basic command, and still depends on it!

As for these nations, the Lord made them feel His displeasure through the attack of the lions, and so pressed on them that they should turn to Him. Then He dealt with them on the same principle He had used with His own people: He left them to their own responsibility. They paid no more attention to it than Israel had. But which of these two groups was the more guilty?

On the surface they feared the Lord, but they contradicted that fear by appointing priests of the high places "for themselves"... Today we see the same evil all around us. People claim to respect God, but their works flatly contradict His Word.

These idol-worshipping nations were brought into the land of Israel, and they did not fear the Lord. He sent lions among them, and the lions killed them. The land lay in ruins, yet God was still caring for the land He had chosen as His own. He was claiming His rights over it, and He would not let anyone take them away. He had wiped out the Canaanites and freed the land from its curse, and He would not let it fall under that curse again. However great the ruin, the name of the Lord must not be wiped out of the land of Israel. God had the future in view, for the remnant, the true Israel, is to inherit the land.

When the Assyrians settled in the ruined cities of Israel, they set up their old Assyrian religion, and the Lord sent lions among them. They understood it. People have a conscience. They understood it; they knew it was a voice from the God of Israel. It was the God of Israel who claimed that land.

The lions cut them down. These poor, ignorant pagans thought the God of Israel was just like their own false gods, yet they understood this judgment. They were more intelligent than the Lord's people (v. 26).

Their fear did not come from conscience toward God. It came from superstition. All they thought they needed was to know the rituals of the religion of Israel (v. 26).

The king of Assyria sent them one of the priests who had been carried away captive, to "teach them the manner of the god of the land." But this priest had himself backed the dreadful mixture of idolatry with the worship of the true God. So he could teach them nothing but his own corruption… A corrupted religion cannot lead people on in the truth. It will always shape them after its own pattern. The fact is obvious, and it still must be pressed home.

This is the only place in the Old Testament where the Samaritans are mentioned, and it gives their origin and the mixed character of their worship. The king of Assyria had filled the cities with settlers from the East. They were now in the Lord's land, but they did not fear Him, so He sent lions among them… The result was that they feared the Lord, and served their own gods!

Notice all through this passage how the fear of the Lord, the beginning of wisdom, was set before the conscience of the people (vv. 35-40), and before the nations too. The Lord had said to Israel: "You shall not fear other gods" (vv. 35, 37, 38), "the Lord alone … Him shall you fear, and Him shall you worship" (v. 36)… In this short passage the words "fear the Lord" come eleven times! Everything else depended on this basic command, and still depends on it!

These idolatrous nations, brought into the land of Israel, did not fear the Lord. He sent lions among them, and the lions killed them. The land lay desolate, yet God was still caring for the land of His inheritance. He was asserting His rights over it, and He would not let anyone take those rights away. He would not let the land fall again under the curse He had lifted from it when He destroyed the Canaanites. However great the ruin, the name of the Lord was not to be wiped out of the land of Israel. God had the future in view: the remnant, the true Israel, is to inherit the land.

Their fears were not moved by conscience toward God, but by superstition. All they needed, they considered, was to know the rituals of the religion of Israel (v.26). The king of Assyria knew no better, so he commanded that a priest from Israel should go back to the land to teach the people the rituals of the god of the land (v.27). How could this be when they had no centre such as God had decreed? — the centre being symbolical of Christ, the only way of approach to God.