1 & 2 Kings – Page 3

2 Kings 22:1-7 – Honor the Temple

It sounds like Josiah was a pretty smart kid for being eight years old. He was making righteous decisions. “He did not turn away from doing what was right.” Sometimes being right isn’t the popular decision. And being “right” can mean many things depending on whose “right” it is. God’s laws are often contrary to man’s laws. I choose to want to be faithful to God’s ways first.

Josiah was seeking to please God. Influenced by David’s faithfulness, we see there was emphasis on God’s holy place, the LORD’s temple. While David’s dream was not fulfilled until his son, Solomon, completed the temple, David knew that honoring God with a home on earth was a high priority. Josiah now, generations later, wants to restore it and keep the structure strong and vibrant.

2 Kings 21:19-26 – Corruption

Read 2 Kings 21:19-26

distorted picture of a girl with sunglasses

Amon’s reign didn’t last long. And, it’s not surprising that the son from Manasseh, the worst king ever, would also be evil. His own servants were even corrupt and brought Amon’s life to an early end. Then the people killed Amon’s assassins. What were they thinking and why? We’ll have to wait and see what Amon’s young son, Josiah does.

Knowing that God has predicted the fall of Judah to the hands of the Babylonians, I was expecting that it would happen during Amon’s evil reign. But it is still one of those things hanging over the heads of Judah’s leadership.

2 Kings 21:1-18 – Goodness is Gone Again

Read 2 Kings 21:1-18

We always hope that our children grow up to become faithful, living fulfilling lives doing exactly what God designed them to do. Hezekiah would probably not be thrilled with how his son turned out. Granted, taking over as king at the tender age of 12 was probably quite a challenge. I can’t even imagine!

It’s amazing to see how all the good Hezekiah did during his reign could be so easily demolished by the next king. Was poor Manasseh that weak to have been lured by evil even worse than it was in the people God drove from the lands originally?

2 Kings 20:12-21 – Evil is Lurking

Read 2 Kings 20:12-21

Did Hezekiah feel invincible after God healed him, or was his “danger radar” simply malfunctioning? His actions toward the Babylonian envoys were certainly very hospitable. I’m surprised Hezekiah didn’t question the motives of the Babylonian envoy’s visit. Could there have been a hidden agenda besides sending a “glad you’re well” gift?

There is certainly some intrigue here, especially if the Babylonians were indeed sending a search party to do some reconnaissance. Even when Isaiah brought to Hezekiah’s attention that everything would someday be taken away to Babylon, the true magnitude of that reality didn’t seem to phase Hezekiah. He seemed more relieved it wasn’t going to happen on “his watch” as king.

2 Kings 20:1-11 – Can God Change His Mind?

Read 2 Kings 20:1-11

Have you ever been part of a discussion where the topic is “whether God ever changes his mind?” This is especially a key concept for our prayer lives. Hezekiah didn’t want to die, and he made that abundantly clear to God in his prayers. God’s mind had been made up, as we can see through Isaiah’s prediction of Hezekiah’s death.

This notion the king wouldn’t survive this illness wasn’t Isaiah’s idea. Nobody just makes up the idea somebody else is going to die and then say it’s a word from God. Do they? No, Hezekiah’s time was coming, and God wanted him to know. Knowing when you’re going to die, that, in and of itself is amazing! How many people get privy to “intel” like that? I’m sure it was infrequent in Hezekiah’s day, too.