Start Time:	06:32 AM
End Time:	07:25 AM
Date:	July 11, 2014

 

TITLE: Azariah King of Judah

Scripture: 2 Kings 15:1 – 38

God’s Message / God’s Commands / God’s Promises:

→ In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah^[a] son of Amaziah king of Judah began to reign. He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jekoliah; she was from Jerusalem. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done. ⁴ The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.  The Lord afflicted the king with leprosy^[b] until the day he died, and he lived in a separate house.^[c] Jotham the king’s son had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land. As for the other events of Azariah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? Azariah rested with his ancestors and was buried near them in the City of David. And Jotham his son succeeded him as king.

NOTES:

Ø  God requires obedience like David did and not just law abiders!  We have established that Amaziah was a law abider and according to the verses above, his son Azariah, did right before the eyes of the Lord like his father, Amaziah did.  Still it was not what God requires from us.  He wants us to love Him with all our being, like David did.  So Azariah, despite of the right things he did before God, he got afflicted with Leprosy, possibly because God does not want a robot.  God could have created a robot to obey the law for Him.  But instead HE created us, humans, to obey Him and the obedience He requires comes from the heart…it comes with loving Him purely and our whole being.

→In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned six months. He did evil in the eyes of theLord, as his predecessors had done. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.  Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah. He attacked him in front of the people,^[d] assassinated him and succeeded him as king. The other events of Zechariah’s reign are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel.  So the word of the Lord spoken to Jehu was fulfilled: “Your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.”^[e] In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem son of Gadi became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria ten years.  He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. During his entire reign he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.  Then Pul^[f] king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem gave him a thousand talents^[g] of silver to gain his support and strengthen his own hold on the kingdom. Menahem exacted this money from Israel. Every wealthy person had to contribute fifty shekels^[h] of silver to be given to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria withdrew and stayed in the land no longer.  As for the other events of Menahem’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? Menahem rested with his ancestors. And Pekahiah his son succeeded him as king. In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah son of Menahem became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned two years. Pekahiah did evil in the eyes of theLord. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit. One of his chief officers, Pekah son of Remaliah, conspired against him. Taking fifty men of Gilead with him, he assassinated Pekahiah, along with Argob and Arieh, in the citadel of the royal palace at Samaria. So Pekah killed Pekahiah and succeeded him as king.  The other events of Pekahiah’s reign, and all he did, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel. In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah son of Remaliah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twenty years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.  In the time of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon, Abel Beth Maakah, Janoah, Kedesh and Hazor. He took Gilead and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali, and deported the people to Assyria. Then Hosheason of Elah conspired against Pekah son of Remaliah. He attacked and assassinatedhim, and then succeeded him as king in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah.  As for the other events of Pekah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

NOTES:

Ø  Kings that ruled without God has suffered under the hands of other enemies or a conspiracy against them during their reign.  Our lives without God will go thru attacks in and out.  We will be subject of conspiracies and invasions from our enemies and our reign in life will be limited.  Some of the kings of Israel, reigned for a month or months (6months).  Looking at it, Israel had 2-3 kings in the span of 1 king of Judah.  That’s how limited their reign as king when God is not with them.  The same in our lives, when God is not in our lives, our reign in life is also limited.  So stick to the source of victory so we will have a long reign in life!

→ In the second year of Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel, Jotham son of Uzziah king of Judah began to reign.  He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok.  He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Uzziah had done.  The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple of the Lord.  As for the other events of Jotham’s reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?  (In those days the Lord began to send Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah.) Jotham rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David, the city of his father. And Ahaz his son succeeded him as king.

NOTES:

Ø  The Lord’s extends our reign in life when we obey and follow Him!  The Kings of Judah who did right before the Lord had years of reign and sometimes, they have 1 king while the Israel already have 2-3 kings passed.  Our obedience in God prolongs our reign in life!  Hallelujah!  But let us all seek to obey God like David did!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank You for You never let go Jesus.  Thank You because You continually guide and wants to be part of my life even if I am stubborn and hard headed.  Thank You because You wants my reign in life extended and that’s why You never give up on me.  Thank You Lord because my obedience rewards me extended reign in this life.  Lord help me to always obey You and not just the law.  I do not want to be law-abider… I want to obey You like David did.  Reveal to me Lord, David’s obedience that I may imitate his obedience to You and have a heart after Yours.  Lord remind me always what happened to the kings who did evil in Your eyes and give me a heart to follow You.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!