Repentance and Provision

Synopsis     2Kings 17:26-35     9/27/2019

Shalmanezer was the king of Assyria. After defeating the northern kingdom, he deported the Israelites who lived there. And he replaced the Israelite population with foreign people from throughout the growing Assyrian empire.

The transplanted people who now lived in northern Israel were plagued by lion attacks. The people associated the lion attacks as a curse from the “god of the land”. And so, they asked the Assyrians to return some Israelite priests in order to instruct the people how they should live and worship.

So, a returning priest arrived back in Israel and settled in Bethel. And he gave instructions to the people. But instead of worshipping God alone, the people worshipped both the God of Israel and the foreign gods they had brought from their original homes.

Repentance and Provision

The people that the Assyrians brought into the land recognized that something was wrong. The land of Israel, where they had been transplanted, was fierce. Accordingly, they wanted a solution. And so, they thought in the only terms they could. They had come from cultures where every local worshipped a different idol. So, they associated the attacks with the dissatisfaction of some local diety.

The priest who returned to Bethel, was probably not an actual Levite priest, in accordance with the Law of Moses. Instead, he was more likely a priest from the religious system invented by Jeroboam to prevent the people from worshipping in Jerusalem.

The whole thing turned into a strange syncretism where the transplanted people of the north worshipped what they knew of the God of Israel, along with a panoply of false idols.

Simplicity of God

Simplicity is a mark of elegance. This is an intuition.

I naturally sense the deepest meaning through the recognition that what I behold is utterly simple.

And this runs deeper than my ordinary experience of myriad voices demanding my attention. It runs from the simple act of deliberately focusing my attention on the voice of God, right through the possibility of beatific vision.

“Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength.” Deut 6:4-5

Israelites Rejected God

Synopsis     2Kings 17:6-15     9/25/2019

Because of King Hoshea’s treachery, the king of Assyria invaded Israel with the intent to bring the people fully under submission. In order to accomplish this, he repopulated the northern kingdom of Israel. First, he sent the Israelites from the ten northern tribes to other Assyrian regions. These included Halah, and Habur, Gozan and the “city of the Medes”.

Israelites Rejected God

This reflection examined the faithlessness of the Israelites. Although there is a clear sense of the tragic nature of Israel’s end, the account is a matter-of-fact recognition that failing the covenant produced the ruin of the nation.

And, the most important aspect of this ruin was the loss of identity. For, the people who were taken away lost their connection to the Israelite community. As a result, their legacy became largely insignificant and forgotten as they merged with the other dislocated peoples who had been transplanted throughout Assyria.

Their customs and unique relationship with God withered and died as the people lost contact with the temple and the priestly system of authentic, Israelite worship.

I Have Rejected God

The path that leads to ultimate destruction is the loss of relationship with God. Perhaps the greatest distinct advantage of the Covenant with Jesus Christ over the Law of Moses is that it is both personal and universal.

Jesus came to call sinners. Of which, I am the greatest I will ever know.

The Covenant of Moses was between God and all of the children of Israel. The failure of the community made the failure of each of the individuals more likely.

But the Covenant of Jesus Christ was not born out of God’s relationship with a particular community. It was born as an invitation to as many who would hear and respond.

And that’s me. And you. And the invitation stands no matter whatever past failure I might have committed. Or even, whatever my community might have done.

“But to those who did accept him, he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name” John 1:12

Israel & Assyria

Synopsis     2Kings 16:16-17:5     9/24/2019 

King Ahaz of Judah changed the basic form of worship for the first time since Moses. He replaced the altar of sacrifice and reorganized the arrangement of the water basins for washing. After reigning for sixteen years, Ahaz died. After this, his son Hezekiah became king.  

Meanwhile, Hoshea was reigning over Israel in the northern kingdom. In those days, Shalmanezer was king over Assyria. So, King Hoshea committed Israel to pay tribute and to remain under Assyrian authority. 

However, at one point, Hoshea became insubordinate toward Assyria. And so, he eventually refused to pay tribute to the foreign king.  

For this, King Hoshea was eventually arrested and imprisoned by Assyrian forces. The capital city of Samaria was besieged for three years. And finally, the city fell and Shalmanezer’s forces occupied the whole land.  

Israel Under Assyrian Authority 

King Hoshea willingly used Assyrian help and support in exchange for protection. However, once the Israelite king no longer felt the need for the protection and support of Shalmanezer’s forces, he looked for a way out of his part of the bargain.  

In short, Hoshea wanted to benefit on the contract he made, but he didn’t want the responsibility. He didn’t want to hold up his end of the bargain. So, he looked to cheat on the contract. And he was caught.  

The Role of Political Authority 

Synthetic communities form out of the mutual agreements of all the participants. That’s why they are usually called “Social Contracts”. The mutual agreement is the things that binds all the participants.  

In Authentic Community, it is different. The rule of an authentic community is transcendent. The rule is given by God for the common good.  

This is one of the reasons I struggle with the rule of the Authentic Community. My tendency is to treat the church like a social contract. Of course, the reason I do this is because I want the benefits but not the responsibilities of God’s way. So, I am like Hoshea – I want to cheat. 

But there is no cheating God or His rule. His law is pure love. His law is pure goodness. It is a gift for my own good and the good of others.

In cheating the law, I cheat myself. I accept less than the full possibility of my life.  

Still, God knows this. And this is why I have a synthetic authority. Because civil authority, imperfect as it is, keeps me from disaster as I mature. It brings me closer to the self-discipline necessary to fully enter into that which God has reserved for each of us.  

“For rulers are not a cause of fear to good conduct, but to evil. Do you wish to have no fear of authority? Then do what is good and you will receive approval from it, for it is a servant of God for your good. But if you do evil, be afraid, for it does not bear the sword without purpose; it is the servant of God to inflict wrath on the evildoer.” Rom 13:4-5 

Ahaz and Assyria

Synopsis     2 Kings 16:6-14     9/23/2019

As a result of an Aramean invasion, the tribe of Judah lost territory to both Aram and the Edomites.

Judah’s king was Ahaz. And, King Ahaz reacted to the invasion by reaching out to the king of Assyria for help. Tiglath-pileser ruled Assyria. So, Ahaz emptied his treasuries of gold and silver and paid them as tribute to the king of Assyria.

The Assyrians moved quickly against Rezin. Accordingly, they attacked Damascus and captured the Aramean capital. As a result, King Rezin was captured. And then, he was executed.

After a while, King Ahaz came to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser. There he noticed the altar of sacrifice used by the king. And so, while he was in Damascus he had the plans for the altar copied and sent to Uriah the priest.

Uriah built a replica and installed it in the temple as a replacement for the altar of God.

Ahaz and Assyria

Ahaz was enamored with Assyrian culture. It wasn’t just that he was glad and grateful that Tiglath-pileser was able to save him from his enemies, he seems to have formed a great affection for the ways of Assyria.

So much so, that he wanted to adjust the worship of God so that it looked more Assyrian. And so, he placed a foreign altar of sacrifice before the presence of the Lord at the temple in Jerusalem.

Like Everyone Else

I have this need to be accepted. And, of course, it’s not intrinsically wrong to want acceptance. It is a legitimate need.

However, even though my need for acceptance isn’t intrinsically wrong, the pressure to receive acceptance from others can lead to compromise. Making myself acceptable to others by merely adopting their behaviors is unlikely to bring long-lasting success.

In fact, this attitude is the essence of value-compromise. It will inevitably lead to moral failure. And there’s little guarantee that will lead to long-term acceptance.

“Teach me, LORD, your way that I may walk in your truth, single-hearted and revering your name.” Psalm 86:11

Ahaz and Alliance

Synopsis     2 Kings 15:32-16:5     9/20/2019

Jotham became king over Judah. He reigned for sixteen years. After his death, he was succeeded by his son Ahaz.

King Ahaz performed many evil acts. Among these, he offered one of his own sons as a sacrifice to a false god. Additionally, he made sacrifices to the idols located on the hills and under various trees in the countryside of Judah.

During the reign of King Ahaz, King Pekah of Israel made a pact with King Rezin of Aram. Together they marched to Judah in order to besiege Jerusalem. However, the two kings were unable to force a battle with Ahaz.

Ahaz and Alliance

King Ahaz made an alliance with the king of Assyria for protection in exchange for money. Even though the prophet Isaiah discouraged Ahaz, the kingdom of Judah paid Tiglath Pileser money in exchange for protection against all enemies.

In a certain way, it seemed like a matter of survival. Assyria was an aggressive nation under King Tiglath-pileser that was quickly expanding as an empire. Tiglath-pileser threatened both Aram and the northern kingdom of Israel. So, although Aram and Israel were traditional enemies, they came together to resist Assyria’s efforts to take over the region.

Accordingly, the two nations wanted Ahaz to join them. And when he would not, they combined their forces and invaded Judah in an effort to either force Ahaz to join them or else, to install a new regime.

My Alliance

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the news. Everywhere, it seems, there are huge global problems. And, each one is so big that it seems to threaten the very existence of the planet. It’s hard to know what to do with all of this information.

I could isolate myself and simply not pay attention. Or, perhaps it’s better to say I could try to do that. But the truth is that anyone with an agenda is vying for my attention. And this doesn’t stop simply because I disconnect my phone or my TV.

I cannot stop their voices. And so, like Ahaz, I am inevitably forced to decide where to put my trust.

With no intent to disrespect God, he chose Assyria as his protector.

So, I face a similar question. When this day is all said and done, will have chosen to trust God first?

“Some rely on chariots, others on horses, but we on the name of the LORD our God.” Psalms 20:8

Shallum and Menahem

Synopsis     2 Kings 15:11-20     9/18/2019

King Zechariah was killed by one of his generals. His killing fulfilled a prophecy given to King Jehu that his dynasty would last through four generations. Zechariah was the fourth in Jehu’s line.

Shallum was the general who killed Zechariah. Afterward, he made himself king. But his rule lasted only one month. After that, he was likewise assassinated by a rival general named Menahem, the son of Gadi.

Menahem ruled for ten years. But he didn’t repent from the kind of evil that his predecessors committed in leading Israel away from the Lord.

During Menahem’s reign, King Pul of Assyria invaded Israel. However, Menahem paid one thousand talents of silver. With this, he retained control over the kingdom.

The money paid to Pul was technically a ransom payment that represented a sum of fifty shekels of silver for every well-to-do citizen of the kingdom.

Shallum and Menahem

Jeroboam was the longest reigning king in the history of Israel. This was also one of the most economically successful times in the history of Israel.

And Zechariah was the son of King Jeroboam. Even so, he served as king for only six months before being assassinated by Shallum, one of his own military leaders. And, in his turn, Shallum ruled as king for only thirty days before being assassinated by Menahem, a rival military leader. After this, Menahem stabilized the kingdom and ruled for ten years.

Despite forty-one years of stable government under Jeroboam, political leadership remained the purview of brutal, self-serving men.

Brutality and Violence

I don’t usually think of Jesus as violent.

And yet Jesus taught lessons that sometimes referenced the kind of violence common as the ancient kings of Israel vied for power. He taught that entry into the kingdom of heaven requires persistent and focused determination. And He taught that it takes my willingness to risk everything to achieve my goal.

It’s sometimes pleasant to think that we might effortlessly fall into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ that both fulfills and saves. But that doesn’t really seem to be what He said.

Evidently, converting what I might potentially achieve into my actual experience of life won’t happen accidentally.

“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it by force.” Matt 11:12

Stability and Prosperity

Synopsis     2Kings 14:28-15:10     9/17/2019

King Jeroboam, son of Joash, led Israel during a resurgence of national success. Under his reign, Israel enjoyed prosperity. And, under his military leadership, Israel regained control of Damascus and Hamath. And then, after ruling for forty-nine years, Jeroboam died.

Meanwhile in Judah, Azariah had become king. Azariah was only sixteen years old when he began to reign. And, he ruled Judah for fifty-two years. He was remembered as a man who did well by God even though idolatry was not entirely eliminated during his reign.

Azariah was a leper. He lived apart from his family in a separate house. During the time of his leprosy, his son Jotham served as the master of the king’s palace and ruler over the people.

Back in Samaria, the capital of Israel, Jeroboam was succeeded by his son Zechariah. King Zechariah ruled for only six months. During this time, he did evil in God’s sight. And so, he was assassinated by one of his generals named Shallum.

Stability and Prosperity

Jeroboam’s reign was long. And with this long period of stability, Israel is said to have experienced a time of remarkable prosperity. But the stability that secured the potential for prosperity came at the expense of the poor. This was also a time when the rich became very rich and the poor could not easily escape poverty.

So, there was subsequent political unrest that emerged with the end of Jeroboam’s reign. And this may have contributed to the assassination of Zechariah.

Poverty

Poverty is not ubiquitously experienced. Sometimes poverty is universal – everyone in the community is experiencing poverty. Sometimes poverty is chosen – like Francis of Assissi. He embraced material poverty is exchange for spiritual wealth.

But sometimes poverty – even extreme poverty – happens in the midst of extraordinary affluence. It’s the case where the wealthy become wealthier and the destitute become hopeless. The wealth of the elite actually crushes the spirits of the poor.

It feels like an injustice. And injustice it may be. But whether or not a system of moral failure has led to the cultural condition, this kind of poverty breaks the solidarity of the community. And the discontent of the disenfranchised grinds them.

And it’s in the context that the poor look for a savior.

I am a professed believer in Jesus Christ – my Lord and Savior. So, I guess the question for me is: What savior are they likely to find? And what does that have to do with me?

“Those who shut their ears to the cry of the poor, will themselves call out and not be answered.” Prov  21:13

Amaziah’s Disastrous War

Synopsis     2 Kings 14:15-27     9/16/2019

King Joash of Israel died. And his son Jeroboam succeeded him as king.

Joash’s counterpart in Judah was King Amaziah. During their lifetimes, King Amaziah led Judah in a failed attempt to war with King Joash of Israel. The result was the sacking of Jerusalem. Even so, King Joash of Israel allowed Amaziah to return to power in Jerusalem.

In the end, Joash died. But Amaziah lived for another fifteen years after his death. King Amaziah was killed by assassins from his own administration. Still, as was custom, he was buried in the city of David. Afterward his son, Azariah, became king at the young age of sixteen.

Meanwhile, back in Samaria, Jeroboam began his rule. King Jeroboam was the second king to share this name. And, like many kings from the north, the writer specifically criticized him for continuing the practices of false worship first began by his namesake (Jeroboam son of Nebat).

Even so, Jeroboam was successful in re-establishing Israelite rule in portions of the land which had been lost by his fathers. This resurgence in power and authority was prophesied by the prophet Jonah.

Amaziah’s Disastrous War

Amaziah experienced a victory over the Edomites. So, he was filled with confidence. As a result, he challenged King Joash from Israel.

For his part, Joash worked to avoid the conflict. But, because Amaziah goaded him, he eventually brought out the army of Israel to engage with the army of Judah. Of course, Israel won the battle and Amaziah was captured.

The defeat was a disaster for Amaziah. Joash exposed Jerusalem by breaking down a critical part of the city’s walled defenses. Not to mention, the conflict cost Amaziah most of the wealth of both the temple and royal treasury.

Incremental Steps to Disaster

It is written, “Love never fails.”

Eventually, every bully is beaten.

“The start of strife is like the opening of a dam; check a quarrel before it bursts forth!” Proverbs 17:14

Amaziah’s Overreach

Synopsis     2 Kings 14:6-14     9/13/2019

Amaziah was the son of King Joash from Judah. Joash was assassinated by two of his closest advisors. So, Amaziah became king after him. And once he was king, he was careful to execute the men who had killed his father in accordance with the law of Moses.

After this, Amaziah defeated the Edomites in battle at Salt Valley. And then Amaziah reached out to King Joash of Israel. He wanted to meet face-to-face. But King Joash of Israel did not consider Amaziah worth meeting. So, he sent a message dismissing the new king.

But Amaziah persisted with his demand. Eventually, he provoked King Joash such that the Israelites invaded Judah. And so King Amaziah was defeated in battle at Beth-shemesh. What’s more, King Amaziah was captured in the battle.

So, King Joash marched on Jerusalem. There he took the wealth of the city and destroyed a large portion of the wall surrounding the city. He also took all the gold and silver from the temple and royal treasuries.

Amaziah’s Overreach

Amaziah miscalculated both his strength and his circumstances. He concluded based on his own past experience that he had what was necessary to prevail in battle over the king of Israel.

However, he failed to recognize that even if he controlled a well-positioned, superior military force, there were no guarantees in battle. And there never are. No person can certainly control the outcome of battle.

Like most things in life, only God really controls the outcomes of battle. And so, his appetite for military conquest brought destruction and loss. As a result, both he and the nation of Judah suffered.

Who’s Team Am I On?

God is the God of Creation. It is a foundational tenant of our faith that all things were made through Jesus Christ. So, God, through the processes of creation, is directing the formation of galaxies and the ordering of the most miniscule sub-atomic particles.

And yet, somehow, I have the idea that He should be on my side. I think that because I want Him to do something for me, that He should do it.

The equation is flipped upside down. The real question is: Am I own His side? Are my actions in harmony with the God of all creation.

It is only in the moments when I have yielded to Him entirely, that I am wholly available for use. And it is only in such moments that the God of Creation can pour power through me to affect His purpose in my life and in the universe of creation.

“…for the battle is not yours but God’s.” 2Chron 20:15

Elisha’s Bones To Life

Synopsis     2 Kings 13:20-14:5     9/12/2019

Elisha died. However, even after his death, the power of God remained mysteriously in his body. At one point, there were men who were burying their dead when Moabite raiders approached. The men dropped the dead person’s body such that it landed on Elisha’s bones. And the person miraculously came back to life.

Meanwhile, King Hazael or Aram persecuted the Israelites. And when Hazael died, he was replaced by Ben-hadad as king. And King Ben-hadad also persecuted Israel.

But King Joash of Israel fought back against Ben-hadad. Eventually, he beat Aram in three battles. And this gained relief for the Israelites.

Back in Jerusalem, Amaziah succeeded his father as king. He reigned twenty-nine years

Elisha’s Bones To Life

Elisha’s body continued to have the power to heal even after he died. Somehow, in accordance with the wisdom of God, the residue of his holiness remained with his physical body.

Bones to Life

So, we all know that this scripture is generally referred as the basis for understanding the phenomena of holy relics. God may choose to channel power through the bones of a perfected saint.

But what catches my imagination focuses on human potential. If God could work through Elisha’s body as a willing vessel even after death, what’s possible in my life?

“I declare: “Gods though you be, offspring of the Most High all of you,” Psalm 82:5