COUNTDOWN. 2nd Kings 15 The moral and spiritual decline of the kingdom of Israel was so great that it led to the political decline of the nation. With the downfall of Jehu’s dynasty, political instability followed, which is described in Hosea 4. He was a prophet at that time and graphically described the condition of the nation and its swift decline.
The nations of Syria (Aram), Israel, and Judah were all in decline, opening the way for the Assyrians to expand into an empire. The first mention of Assyria and its invasion of Israel made the kingdom of Israel a vassal state forced to pay tribute to Assyria. The amount of tribute was astronomical, and even more astounding was Israel's ability to pay it. Israel had a time of great prosperity when Jeroboam II was the king.
Generations of leadership passed in Israel and Judah; occasionally, there were temporary recoveries to prosperity and spirituality. Under the leadership of Jeroboam II in Israel, the nation prospered financially. Under the leadership of Azariah (Uzziah), Judah enjoyed peace and prosperity. The walls of Jerusalem were repaired, and the city was fortified. The devotion of Azariah to God positively affected the whole nation. But like those before him, he did not remove the pagan shrines that caused the people to mix their worship of God with other forms of religion.
It was good of Azariah to "do what was right in the sight of the Lord." It was wrong of him not to remove the places of pagan worship that misled the people. He did not use his authority to accomplish that responsibility. In his zeal for the Lord, Azariah (Uzziah) offered incense on the altar, which was a priestly work, not the privilege of a king. He was smitten with leprosy by God and, from then on, served in a dual leadership with his son Jotham. This practice was common for those who were old and needed help or were training the next generation to lead. In the case of Uzziah, leprosy would keep him away from public life and a public role as the leader of the nation, so Jotham ruled with him until his death.
As much as we appreciate the example and leadership of those who have gone before us, the only perfect example to follow is our Lord Jesus Christ. We should not follow the practices of those who have gone before us without questioning whether they are scriptural. Everything we do as individuals, assemblies, and nations should be according to the plans and will of God as revealed in the scriptures.
The limitations of others and ourselves are negative influences, but our Lord had no limitations. We see in Him what God intends in one who leads, and we should consciously seek to be committed to His example. There are those from whom we can learn, such as the apostle Paul, who said, "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ."
In Israel, the four generations of leadership promised to Jehu were ending. Jeroboam II brought prosperity, power, and a period of peace to the nation. When Zechariah, the son of Jeroboam, became king, the nation started to disintegrate. He did evil and was also evil, so he was assassinated after being king for only six months. God kept His promise to Jehu, but payday always comes, and evil will be punished. He had been warned by the prophet Amos that promoting idol worship would bring death. Sin is serious in every case, but divine justice brings inevitable consequences when we are responsible for leading others into sin through our influence.
Shallum had taken matters into his own hands when he killed Zechariah. He was only king for one month when what he did happened to him. He was assassinated by a man who was more evil than himself. The disintegration of Israel followed rapidly as, one after another, the leadership either died after only a short reign or was assassinated. The nation came under the domination of the Assyrians, who began by exacting tribute from them and finally took much of their land and many of the people as slaves into Assyria. It is possible that in one generation, people who saw the failure of their leaders to follow the Lord and followed them anyway went right from prosperity to slavery.
People cannot avoid being seriously affected by their leaders. Leaders either encourage or discourage their people by their example. How they organize the activities of their family, assembly, or nation will make or break the unit's work. Fathers, elders, and national leaders must promote faith in God rather than put obstacles to faith in place. Our influence will be felt for generations to come, whether we like it or not.
The last king of Israel was Hoshea, who killed Pekah, the leader before him. While Pekah was king in Israel, Jotham, the son of Azariah (Uzziah), became the king in Judah. During Pekah's reign, Uzziah died, and Isaiah saw the vision of the Lord as "high and lifted up." He saw God's holiness and Israel's destruction. But he also saw beyond the imminent doom of the nation to the promise of the Messiah who would be born of a virgin and whose name would be "Immanuel" (God with us). It was then he prophesied of the future blessing that would come under the reign of our Lord.
Israel had become so degenerate morally, that five assassinations and international intrigue brought the nation down. The Assyrian way of controlling conquered people was to take the people of a conquered area and relocate them to different places among different cultures, resettling them until the population was so mixed they would have nothing in common or enough people of one nationality to rebel. That was one reason the “Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans.” The Samaritans were eventually a mixture of many cultures and nations.
In this day of departure from truth, morality, righteousness, and integrity - the deterioration and disintegration of a normal society will follow. We who know the Lord can look ahead in faith and see beyond the terrible things that are going on presently and that will happen to the blessings yet to come. Even the united nation of Jews will have the promise of God fulfilled and will live in peace in the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The lessons of history should awaken us to the reality of what happens when people get used to evil and the consequences that are sure to follow.
God is not done with His people. Israel is a chosen people who are unique in the world of nations. It was to them the earthly promises of God were given. Through that nation, the Messiah came to "put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." It was from them that the nations of the world were blessed. Those nations that favor Israel will be blessed even though Israel is such a small nation. Because Israel is the chosen nation to bless mankind through Christ, it undeniably influences all the nations of the earth.
There are fewer citizens in Israel than there are in some states in this country, and yet the leaders of Earth are rightly concerned when threats are made against Israel. They are the earthly people of God. Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ must remember that we "who were not a people" are "now the people of God." We are a heavenly people, paid for and redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. We have obtained mercy and are Christ's "peculiar people" - His "purchased possession."
It is a good thing when people return to the Lord after a failure or a fall. It is good to see people reading God’s Word when they come to a meeting of God’s people or in their homes. It is a good thing when people turn from evil to God and seek to do what is right, but what about those idols you keep?
It is good when those who lead the Lord’s people are compassionate and fair. It is good when the needy are shown genuine care and practical assistance. It is good when the rich and the poor share in the fellowship, and it is important to maintain believers' unity in Christ. But what about the promises to God you haven’t kept?
It is good when a nation finally has some peace. All the citizens rejoice and can release the pent-up tension they have endured for so long. It is good when parents tell the young about God’s grace in their lives, and they read the Bible together. It is good when churches and families talk freely about faith, but what about obedience to God’s word you don’t keep?
It is good to see people enjoying the blessings of life, and there isn’t strife and suspicion. It is good to see obvious love between husband and wife. It is good when the children grow up free of domestic strife, and homelife is meaningful to everyone, but what about inconsistencies children see?
It is good to see significant benefits from your labor as you seek to “get ahead in this world.” It is good to see that the workers in society have some money to spend on necessities and occasionally some relaxation. It is good to have confidence in the economy so people can borrow and lend without fear of losing everything they have. But what about illegal practices others can’t see?
It may be that God is blessing us, but are we blessing Him? It may seem like a better moral climate is about to begin, but a half-hearted response to God’s will should never be allowed in anyone's life. Whenever leadership changes through deception, conniving, or rebellion, there will be a lack of trust, confidence, and satisfaction that seldom can be solved.
Leadership skills cannot overcome moral and spiritual failure when true and open-hearted care is not evident. Love for people under one’s care far exceeds skillful planning and carefully thought-out schemes. Love for God and His people override the lack of well-designed programs carried out by well-educated leaders in an assembly who lead the assembly like a business. The heart of a true shepherd cannot be hidden from the eyes and hearts of those who follow his lead.