2 Kings 15:3-4 He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD….The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.
The repetition in these chapters isn’t lost on me. I wonder if it was lost on the inhabitants? The kings of Judah, by and large, did right in the eyes of the LORD, though they never destroyed the high places. But the Israelite kings were, by and large, evil. Commentary mentions that at this point, Israel’s territory was “reduced to a tiny kingdom only thirty miles wide by forty miles long.”
2 Kings 15:9 He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, as his predecessors had done. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam….
I’m absolutely positive that this is not the way they had imagined it working out back in 1 Samuel 8 when they clamored for a king “such as all the other nations have” (v3). Pining for what the world holds dear often works out that way, not anywhere near as good as expected.
2 Kings 15:18 He did evil in the eyes of the LORD. During his entire reign he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam.
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for allowing me to see where Israel landed when the people clamored to be just like everyone else. Help me not to get caught up in the trappings of this world. Draw me closer. Amen.
2 Kings 15:34-35 He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD….The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there….
Have a blessed day.
My faith, my life, my teaching–it's all a work in progress.