Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah

2Kings 15:14 For Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, and came to Samaria, and smote Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria, and slew him, and reigned in his stead.

Menahem kills Shallum

Menahem reigns 10 years but is evil (like Jereboam)

King Pul of Assyria came and was about to attack Menahem (and Israel) so Menahem pays him LOTS of silver (1000 talents) to help him control Israel (odd thing to ask of an enemy)

(this doesn't work as eventually Assyria are one of the countries that take their turn to capture Israel later on)

1Ki 4: 24 For he (Solomon) had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him.

This is the biggest Israel EVER got..

2Ki 15:16 Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and the coasts thereof from Tirzah: because they opened not to him, therefore he smote it; and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up.

So Menahem tries (and it sounds like, succeeds) to take over Tiphsah again and extend Israel's borders. this is the last time recorded any Israel king attempts to extend the borders.

notice what he is recorded as having done - and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up. disgusting and disturbing, but

2Ki 8:12 reference to women with child again.

this was done to Israel by Hazael king of Assyria

Israel then does it to Tiphsah.

Amos 1:13 reference to women with child again. Ammonites did this to Israel too.

PEKAHIAH reigned for 2 years. he was bad, and killed by unrelated army officer PEKAH

Pekah was... bad. reigned for 20 years

he was a good fighter - 2Ch 28:6 he killed 120000 in one day (valient men) because they forsook God. don't know if that was his reason or somebody else's and he just jumped on the opportunity to kill people.

this is an example of God using Pekah to fulfill His purpose.

2Ch 28:8-15
8 And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria.
9 But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded: and he went out before the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because the LORD God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them in a rage that reacheth up unto heaven.
10 And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen and bondwomen unto you: but are there not with you, even with you, sins against the LORD your God?
11 Now hear me therefore, and deliver the captives again, which ye have taken captive of your brethren: for the fierce wrath of the LORD is upon you.
12 Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against them that came from the war,
13 And said unto them, Ye shall not bring in the captives hither: for whereas we have offended against the LORD already, ye intend to add more to our sins and to our trespass: for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.
14 So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the congregation.
15 And the men which were expressed by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brethren: then they returned to Samaria.

if you think about it, this is a literal example of the good samaritan.

that's a thought of roger's... xD

Jotham The Mighty

So Jotham appears in 2 Kings 15, and 2 Chronicles 27...

King of Judah

We spent a lot of our time looking at references and deciding which ones we found relevant.. so.. Jotham was 25 when he began to reign and he reigned 16 years... ((I'm still a bit confused about the regency thing, so can someone else please explain it.))

Jotham was a good king :) and he 'became' mighty, which shows that God made him mighty, he didn't make himself mighty. He established his ways before God, although the high places weren't removed - he didn't manage to bring the people to God, the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places.

Jotham's reign was not a reign of peace... he fought with the Ammonites, they gave him 100 talents of silver, 10 000 cors of wheat, and 10 000 of barley.

''did what was right in the eyes of the LORD [2 Kings 15 v 34]''

His daddy was Uzziah and his mummy was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok.

some handy information: Prophets around during the reign of Jotham were: Hosea, Micah and Isaiah.

comments guys :)

Zechariah/Shallum - What comes around goes around...

So once again we spent a while recapping..

Zechariah is the son of Jeroboam II, and once again 'did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat'. He only reigns 6 months, and we don't really read anything of him apart from that little synopsis. Then a guy called Shallum (son of Jabesh) comes along, and kills him in front of everyone, and becomes king instead. This actually fulfils what God had said to Jehu, that 'your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation'[2 Kings 10:30] - Zechariah is the fourth generation after Jehu. God keeps his promises!

So Shallum is king... and reigns 'a full month'...because a guy called Mehanem (son of Gadi) comes along and kills him and becomes king instead. Sound familiar?

So what comes around goes around... We need to be brave and break out that vicious circle!

Jeroboam II - Have we learned anything yet?

Let's get this ball rolling then...

This is Jeroboam son of Joash, not Jeroboam son of Nebat.

So Jeroboam II was a bad guy, 'he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin' [2Kings 14v24].

He did restore the borders of Israel, fulfilling what Jonah the son of Amittai (yes, THE Jonah) had prophesied. Israel was a bit troubled at the time, and God 'saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter; and whether bond or free, there was no helper for Israel'. He decided that he wouldn't 'blot out the name of Israel from under the heaven', so he 'saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.' This doesn't mean that he was knowingly doing God's will though: even Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is described as God's 'servant' in Jer 27:6. It just means that God used his actions to help His people.

So anyway, Jeroboam II wasn't a good guy, just like all the other Israelite kings before him... So why hadn't he learned?! He even had the same name as the king who so many bad kings are described as 'following in the sins of' or 'not departing from the sins of' (Nadab, Ahaziah and Jehoram are three examples). Jeroboam II could've looked at all that and decided he'd change the dynasty for good, but he didn't, he followed in their tracks rather than God's. Although like we looked at, Jonah and Amos were contemporary with him, so it wasn't like good influences were lacking in the land.

So in the world a really really common phrase is 'I have no regrets - I can learn from my mistakes' or 'He has to learn the hard way.' The mindset is that you're never really gonna learn til you've made your own mistakes - you're not gonna find out the fruit is poisoned until you taste it. But that's the wrong way of thinking, it's the too late mindset (so yeah, you know the fruit is poisoned but you're dead, there's not much you can do about it, is there?). God told us He wants us to learn from the mistakes of the people He's told us about in His word, to save us making our own (knowing that someone already tried the fruit and was poisoned by it would save you dying trying, yeah?).

1 Corinthians 10v6-11 is a place where God tells us about this:
"6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.
7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play."
8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell;
9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents;
10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come."

Also take a peek at 2Peter 2 for the same concept.

We're supposed to learn by example, not by mistakes.


...Now, those 2 other comments...

Uzziah

ISAIAH 6

v1+2 - talking of God's glory
seraphim praising God
wings described a bit like cherubims

protection
covering --> King + Priest - Melchizedek
movement --> Points to Jesus due to prophecy throughout chapter
care

Lord = King

UZZIAH (king of Judah)

Isaiah 6 - during Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah (Isaiah 1)
- to do with prophet Isaiah
- reference to Uzziah - how/why?

v5 - acknowledging his + people's sinfulness

BUT has seen the king - the LORD of Hosts v1+v2

No man can see God + live - Isaiah thinks he will die

UZZIAH significance at start of chapter - UZZIAH = AZARIAH

Uzziah thought he was King + Priest
2Chron 26
Uzziah - 16 restored Judah
reigned 52 yrs (v3)
v4- overall description = good

v6 live coal symbol of sins forgiven (??)
Isaiah - see vision - acknowledges sin - forgiven

Jesus v9,v10
(5 references in NT to this prophecy fulfilled - Luke 8v10 one of them)

Zechariah = influence for good
when Uzziah = faithful
God with him
when strong heart lifted up like Nebechudnezzer v16
Uzziah did it for own glory unlike David, Solomon etc
Korah, Dathan, Abiram's censors beaten into plates on the inscense altar

Uzziah died a leper due to pride

leper = sin

v1 - in the year sin (Uzziah the leper) died, God ruled

KINGDOM

sorry for the randomness of the notes =)

Amaziah - Employer of the Year

So actually the vast majority of this lesson was spent in a little summary of the last term for our benefit and our new member's... (welcome to the world of blogs Paul...)

Theeen after that we got to Amaziah. I'm gonna be honest and say that after reading 2 Kings 14 my memory still hasn't been jogged, soooo from reading 2 Kings 14 then.

So Amaziah was a king of Judah, the son of Joash. His contemporary in Israel was Jehoash, son of Jehoahaz. They didn't like each other much, and decided to battle at Beth Shemesh (even though Jehoahaz originally didn't really want to do it - "The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son as wife'; and a wild beast that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle. You have indeed defeated Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Glory in that, and stay at home; for why should you meddle with trouble so that you fall-you and Judah with you?" [2 Kings 14:9+10]. - basically Jehoash is saying that he could easily beat Amaziah, so what's the point?! Which I suppose is one way to make someone angry enough to fight you...). And yeah, Israel did win, just like Jehoahaz had said... he took all the gold and silver from the house of the LORD and the king's house, broke down a lot of the wall of Jerusalem. But he didn't kill Amaziah, actually Jehoash died before Amaziah. He just ruined Judah.

I'd forgotten to say that before this battle, Amaziah had taken revenge on the people who killed his father (but not their children, like it says in the Law: "Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; but a person shall be put to death for his own sin."). God describes him as doing the right thing in the sight of the LORD, but not like David did, just like his father did...there were still high places, and the people were still bad. And he killed lots of Edomites- which is why Jehoash includes that in his taunt.

Amaziah is assassinated by people in Jerusalem.

So I'm gonna read Chronicles now, and see what that says.

Chronicles says he did what was right, 'but not with a loyal heart' - so his heart wasn't REALLY in what he believed and did. He numbered the people... and then decided to hire 100,000 mighty men from Israel. We said that meant he didn't trust God to help him the battle. A man of God actually comes and tellls him not to do it because God isn't with the Israelites...and so Amaziah dismisses the Israelite troops, and then goes on to kill all of those Edomites. The dismissed troops are angry and raided Judah's cities and killed lots of people.

And Amaziah brought back gods from Seir and bowed down to them... and a prophet comes to tell him that God's angry. But Amaziah doesn't really seem to listen... and goes to war with Israel.

And that's it =)

Jehoahaz and Jehoash – The Evil Continues.

This is Eilidh on Kirsty's account.

Jehoahaz and Jehoash – The Evil Continues.

Sorry for the delay guys…

So Jehoahaz was the son of Jehu, and Jehoash was the son of Jehoahaz.

So back in December when we actually had the lesson, we compared Jehoahaz and Jehoash. So the basics, they were both Kings of Israel. Jehoahaz: ‘he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat which made Israel to sin.’ – 2 Kings 13v2 … and Jehoash: ‘he also 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.’ – 2 Kings 13v1. Jehoash didn’t learn from his father’s example and made Israel to sin. In Verse 4 Jehoahaz asks God for help, and God helps him, but he still did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam. Israel’s worship was still sin as their worship was Asherah – wooden image. ‘and the Asherah also remained in Samaria’ – 2 Kings 13v6.

Both Jehoahaz and Jehoash were given the opportunity to see the hand of God, but they didn’t respond. v23 ‘but the LORD was gracious to them and had compassion on them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, no has he cast them from his presence until now’

The lesson that we get from Jehoahaz and Jehoash is that we can appear to do right things in our life but still leading an evil life. In the world people only really remember God when they need help, like Jehoahaz did. We should remember God at all times, not just when we need help.

What is acceptable to have as our entertainment in our lives?

Do we want to follow the ways of Jehoash and Jehoahaz? Or in the ways of God?


It’s a bit short, but I can’t remember some things, which is completely my fault. If anyone else (Debbie who was there) can remember anything else that we talked about. Leave a comment (:
Eilidh.