2 Kings 14; 2 Chronicles 25

Rise and fall, Rise and fall, Rise and fall......wouldn't you think these silly kings would learn?  HMMMM, do we?

Here is blogger Patricia Syzmanki's take on these chapters change "voice" up a bit....

Well I am glad the reading was short BUT it is a HUGE part of History.  I wrote a blog last night to post for today and it is missing on my computer.  I am so mad.  Anyway, here is the cliffnote version. 

Keyword is Apostacy.  Turning away from the Lord.  How do I remember what this word means…starts with an “A”.  A for America, A for Apostacy.   Ahhhhh get my point.

SO what EXACTLY are we reading about? As I said earlier we saw the nation divide, we are now reading about the beginning of nation’s fall.  This is the Fall of the Northern Kingdom, Israel.  The Northern Kingdom came into existence in 931 B.C., In spite all that Elijah and Elisha did for them they never turned from their sinful ways as a nation.  Israel is in a PROSPERITY period and no one is noticing that Assyria is growing to be a huge, strong nation and eventually will conquer Israel in 733 BC. (so you can get an idea of where we are in between).  Some of Israel’s greatest years are in this era, Jeroboam had little devotion to God’s law and the rich got richer and the poor got poorer (Hello USA).  Israel is  getting cocky and self-centered.  Jeroboam dies in this chapter, so it is about 747 BC and in that one year Israel had 4 kings (the beginning of the decline) Jeroboam  Jr, Zechariah, Shallum and Menaham (who will reign 10 years)

Jehoash (good) had a son Amaziah, king of Judah.  Did good but STILL did not take down the places of worship outside the Temple. What are these High places?  They are “man made” ways to worship.  God laid out ONE way to come to the Father.  ONE.  And the people have fallen prey to how their neighbors were worshipping and doing that.  God does not lay out His Plan for us to then make our own way to Salvation.  DO YOU NOTICE WHAT A HUGE SIN THIS IS.  How many times have we read the phrase “But they did not take down the high places”.  There is ONE way to worship God and that is Through Jesus and I will not be tolerant to hear any other way.

Amaziah, even kills the men that killed his Dad, but stays in God’s law and does not kill their sons.  But then he acts a bit cocky and picks a fight with Israel calling them a small thistle.  Why is Amaziah acting like this? Because He is prideful because he conquered the Edomites.  The Edomites were conquered,  but as we read in Obadiah, that was all the Lord’s doing.  It was God’s wrath and judgment.

In 2 days we will begin the end last years of the Northern Kingdom, Israel, while Assyria reaches its peak  power under the reign of Tiglath-Pileser, terrible name,  so sometimes he is referred to as Pul.

You may have picked up on the name Jonah!  SO look tonight for your Overview.  Very exciting read for me.