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the  Preachers  blog

Blogs are posted every Wednesday

The more kings change… (By Lynne McCarthy)

4/15/2021

 
Text:  2 Kings 15-17 (Ps. 105) 
Observe:  Israel’s kings: 0/20 good.  Judah’s kings: 8/19 good. Today’s sad lineup, in order of appearance:
Judah:
Uzziah Named by Isaiah, who prophesied during his long reign.  Pleased God BUT kept pagan shrines. The Lord afflicted him with leprosy, isolating him until his death. Jotham as regent in this period.  Good, but…     
Israel:
Zechariah   Did evil in the Lord’s sight. Assassinated by Shallum. Bad.                                   Shallum  After only a month, assassinated by Menahem.  Probably bad.
Menahem   Contemporary of Uzziah. Destroyed an entire town. His bribes and extortion stopped the Assyrian king from attacking Israel. Bad.
Pekahiah   Menahem’s son. Continued Israel’s sins. Assassinated by Pekah.   Bad. Pekah  Continued Israel’s sins. Assyrian king invaded Israel during his reign. Assassinated by Hoshea.  Bad.   
Judah:
Jotham   Uzziah’s son. Pleased God. Rebuilt part of the Temple BUT let idol worship continue. Israel attacked Judah during his reign. Good, but...   
Ahaz     Jotham ’s son. Followed Israel’s sins, sacrificed his son, worshipped at pagan shrines. Stole silver and gold from the Temple, bribed Assyrian king to defend Jerusalem. Repurposed, relocated Temple furnishings to please Assyrian king.   Bad, really bad.
Israel: 
Hoshea.   Contemporary of Ahaz. Did evil in God’s sight. Exile,  ‘because the people of Israel sinned against the Lord their God’. (17:7) Bad.

Worship became thoroughly syncretized under these kings, influenced by Assyria; priests teetered between gods and God. With no discernment, fear of God or obedience to His law, Israel knelt to the true God and whatever idols were handy.  Foreigners settled Samaritan cities, bringing their idols with them. Despite a returned priest’s preaching the fear of the Lord, they would not listen, but they did according to their former manner (17:40). A dark time, yet again.

Interpret:  Reading these scandal sheets, we weary of repeated evil; imagine the depths of God’s righteous anger. Perhaps… ‘God sees the truth, but waits.’* Even the “good” kings disobey God, compromising wholehearted devotion in ignoring His command to destroy all pagan influences.

God gave the people the kings they wanted (or deserved?). But what they wanted was not what they needed – a true King of justice and mercy, of integrity and love, full of grace, sinless, worthy of worship -- a servant/King.  The problems with nearly all the kings? They forgot ruling means serving. They forgot to worship God only. Eventually, God erased the kingdom of Israel, exile to Assyria the ending.

Apply:  We too live in dark times and see/sense dark things around us: Visible – huge gaps between rich and poor; God’s male/female duality a mockery; increasing crime, poverty, homelessness; child abuse; euthanasia; world-affecting diseases; government corruption; societal and family breakdown; slavery; increased persecution of Christians; injustice; lack of wisdom and truth even in some church leaders, and so (onerously) on.   

Invisible – principalities, powers, and spiritual battles; moral laxity; absence of true faith and love of God; idolatries, confusion, greed, anti-authority, unbelief, cynicism; my rights, my ‘truth’, Self as main idol. 2 Tim.3:1-5 is a chilling forewarning...

But God’s truth overcomes darkness: ‘In [His]light do we see light’ (Ps. 39:9); ‘… even the darkness is as light to You ‘(Ps 139:12a) ‘I am the Light of the world...’ (John 8:12) His light shines into the darkest corners of hearts. By His grace, idolatrous self-rule yields to His just and holy governance. We pray for those in authority, at whatever level, that their hearts will turn to “do what is pleasing to the Lord”. As ours must, constantly. 

Ask:  Lord, what idols do I still ‘worship’? Help me destroy them! What ‘kings’ other than You rule my life? Assume the throne of my heart. Lord God, would You grace me to obey, love and trust You alone? You bought me, at such great price.  

Pray:  These I ask in Your Name, King Jesus.    
Song:  The King of Love My Shepherd Is                                         
 
*Title of a short story by Leo Tolstoy

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St Aidan’s Anglican Church
274 Campbell Street | Winnipeg, MB R3N 1B5
Phone: 204.489.3390 Email: staidans.churchoffice@gmail.com
  • Home
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    • 2020 Sermons
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    • 2019 Sermon Series >
      • Gospel Centered Eternities November 2019
      • The Real Joy of Easter - Holy Week 2019
    • 2018 Sermons
    • 2018 Sermon Series >
      • Gospel Centred Church Spring 2018
      • A Gospel Shaped Church Fall 2018
    • 2017 Sermon Series >
      • The Servant King Christmas 2016
      • The Saviour King Lent 2017
      • The Victorious King Holy Week 2017
      • The Living King Easter 2017
      • The Brother King Fall 2017
      • Worship the King Advent 2017
    • 2016 Sermon Series >
      • Real Obedience Lent 2016
      • Unity of the Church
      • The Servant King Christmas 2016
    • 2015 Sermon Series >
      • Real Gifts 2015
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      • Mission Discerned
    • 2014 Sermon Series >
      • Real Church 2014
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  • Christianity 101
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