Gary Gleans

The life of Hezekiah is a clear illustration that godliness does no always lead to health, wealth and peace.  God described Hezekiah as having been the best king of Judah and yet his reign was filled with war and then he became deathly ill.  We must constantly remind ourselves that the rewards of obedience to the Lord are securely stored for us in heaven but often will not be experienced on this earth.  We live on a planet cursed by sin so we must remember that there is every possibility that we will suffer for doing good as opposed to prospering for it. HEZEKIAH DEFIES DEATH: When Hezekiah becomes sick the prophet Isaiah comes and lets him know that he will not recover from the illness but that God had decided that he will die.  At this point he had only reigned for ten years.  Hezekiah did not want to die so young so be prayed to the Lord and asked God to spare his life.  God answered the prayer and Isaiah returned with the news that God had granted him fifteen more years.  Heze

Hope is a wonderful and powerful thing.  When Hezekiah and the city of Jerusalem was surrounded by the Assyrians and the conditions in Judah were so bad that the people were starving, the people and Hezekiah desperately needed hope.  The Assyrians were a proud and barbaric people that were particularly cruel to their enemies.  They caused great fear to spread over the entire region.  Kingdom after kingdom had fallen before the Assyrian army and they became very proud.  They blasphemed the name of the Lord and they believed that they were invincible.  They were wrong.  There is no human power that can stand before the Lord and the power of God no matter how strong they think they are.  It is a great source of hope to know that our God is the one and only all-powerful sovereign of the universe.  No matter what circumstance we face, we can always place our faith in Him and trust in Him. ISAIAH ASSURES HEZEKIAH WITH HOPE: In the midst of all of the threats from the Assyrians, Hezekiah

Just when it appears that all hope for the children of Israel is gone, God demonstrates that He is able to provide a godly leader that truly walks in the ways of the Lord.  Hezekiah’s father was a wicked king and the king of Israel was also wicked and was taken into captivity during the beginning of his reign.  However, Hezekiah seems to have learned from the mistakes of his father and the king of Israel.  In a sea of evil and mediocre kings that rebelled against God or only served Him halfheartedly, Hezekiah stands out like a beacon of hope.  Apparently he saw the consequences of disobedience and tolerance of sin and by God’s grace he decided that the price was too high to pay so he walked in obedience to the Lord and His Word.  God continues to look for leaders today who will follow His Word and be courageous enough to defy the tide of sinfulness in the culture around them. HEZEKIAH PRACTICED COMPLETE OBEDIENCE: We are so used to king after king that is described as doing what w

God is patient, loving and kind; but He is also holy and just and He must punish sin as He has promised to do.  The nation of Israel had been taught the Word of God but chose to ignore God’s instruction and warnings so they continued to live idolatrous and lives.  God had warned them of the consequences of disobedience and He had promised to judge them and God always keeps His promises.  We are often tempted to think that the delay of God’s judgment somehow means that He will not judge.  That is a mistake.  One day God will interrupt the course of history and step in to judge this world.  We must never mistake the patience of God with His unwillingness or inability to judge.  ISRAEL’S IDOLATRY LED TO CAPTIVITY: Israel continued to insist on worshiping idols and they refused to follow the Lord whole heartedly.  King after king led the nation further and further into sin and God was angry with them.  Finally, God sent the nation of Assyria to take them into captivity.  It is not tha

Throughout history it is easy to observe that the saying: “what the parents tolerate in moderation the children will practice in excess” is true.  King after king in Judah has done what was right in the eyes of the Lord only they did not remove the high places.  While the kings themselves did not make sacrifices at the high places; they tolerated it in the people that they led.  Now Ahaz is king and decides that if his father and grandfather permitted their people to make sacrifices there that it must not be so bad so he went to extreme idolatry.  We must be very careful what we tolerate in our families as our children will very likely go beyond what we have permitted and that is how faithful families eventually become faithless families. AHAZ INSTIGATES IDOLATRY IN ISRAEL: The previous kings had failed to remove the high places so Ahaz feels free to use them and takes the worship of idols to extreme levels.  He is said to have worshiped under every green tree and gone so far as

Contrasts are very easy to see between the nation of Israel and the nation of Judah.  The primary contrast is seen in the kings that reign over these nations and their relationship before the Lord.  We can see the clear benefits of submitting to the Lord and the dangers of following after false gods.  Despite the contrasts and inconsistencies that we see in these kings; we see a very faithful God who is clearly in control of the leaders that are established.  As we look on from the outside it is clear that wickedness and idolatry lead to pain, suffering and death.  It seems strange that king after king failed to realize this and change.  This is a reminder to all of us that we are often blind to our own weaknesses and apart from the grace of God in our lives, we would all be trapped in this same viscous circle. THE TWO KINGS OF JUDAH WERE MARKED BY PARTIAL OBEDIENCE AND LONGEVITY: Uzziah reigned for fifty-two years and his son Jotham reigned for 25 years.  Both of these kings are

There are times when we think that things should work out one way and we believe that this would be the just way for things to happen.  However, things do not always happen the way that we might think that they should.  The obedient do not always triumph over the disobedient.  When this happens our natural tendency is to question either God’s goodness or His power.  We must be careful not to allow this to happen in our lives.  There are circumstances that we may not understand but we must never doubt the ability of God or the character of God.  When we don’t understand; we do well to take our confusion to the Lord in prayer, leave our doubts with Him and simply trust that He knows exactly what He is doing. AMAZIAH IS DEFEATED BY JEHOASH: Amaziah was a relatively good king who obeyed God, followed the Law and feared the Lord.  He did not remove all idol worship from Israel, but did not worship these idols himself.  God gave him victory over the Edomites and this gave him great con

The patience and mercy of the Lord is amazing to observe through the lives of the kings of Israel.  Time after time these kings are disobedient and worship idols but God does not destroy them and even blesses them when they show even the slightest signs of repentance.  It is easy for us to be critical of these kings as we see them walk in sin, but we often are tolerant of sin in our own lives and practice a half-hearted obedience.  God continues to be gracious to us and forgives us when we repent and patiently restores us to fellowship time and time again.       GOD GRANTED FAVOR TO JEHOAHAZ: Even though for the most part Jehoahaz was an evil king who did not turn from the idolatry and the sinfulness of Jeroboam in Israel; God was patient with him.  The disobedience caused him to be constantly under attack from the Syrians and the people were oppressed by their enemies.  However, when Jehoahaz humbled himself and sought the Lord’s favor God was gracious to him and restored the p

Joash was a good king in Judah especially when we compare him to his father and grandfather.  However, 2 Kings does not tell us the entire story of his life and we will see that at the end of his reign he was evil and very ungrateful.  Joash is an all too common example of a king who started well but did not finish well.  Unfortunately this is also very common in the lives of many believers and Christian leaders today.  Pride seems to seep into the hearts of men who start well and they often end up finishing very poorly.  God does not want this to be true of our lives.  Perhaps there are some indicators in the life of Joash that point to the problem. JOASH PRACTICED PARTIAL OBEDIENCE: In the very beginning of his reign Joash did a great fob of doing away with the worship of Baal.  The worship of Baal was blatant idolatry that was a direct affront to God.  However, Joash did not do away with the “high places.”  This was another form of idolatry that was not as open as the worship

Power is a very scary thing when if falls into the wrong hands.  It is astounding to consider what Athaliah actually does in order to guarantee that she could maintain power in the kingdom of Judah.  It also requires a great level of courage to stand up against such a blood thirsty and power hungry leader.  Thankfully, God has repeatedly risen up such courageous men and women to defend the defenseless and stand up for what is right no matter the danger they face.  Every generation has leaders that try to destroy the work of God on the earth and commit atrocities against humanity.  Thankfully, God always has a faithful and courageous remnant that stands up against tyranny in order to do what is right.  This passage introduces us to three characters that demonstrate who played these parts in Judah. ATHALIAH THE TREACHEROUS QUEEN: When Athaliah heard that her son was dead she feared losing power and control of the kingdom as she knew that she would not be able to have the same contr

Jehu set out to clean up the house of Israel and clean house he did.  It was not just a superficial cleaning but a deep “spring cleaning.”  He set out to fulfill the Word of the Lord concerning the promise that God had made concerning Ahab and his descendants.  It is certainly amazing to see his zeal and courage in this matter.  Unfortunately he was not whole-hearted in his dedication to the Lord and continued to practice other forms of idolatry that displeased the Lord.  We often have a tendency to be very strongly convicted about certain areas in our lives where we are zealous to root out the sins we practice in those areas.  Unfortunately, we also have a tendency to tolerate sin in other areas of our lives and these areas often become our downfall. JEHU ELIMINATES THE DESCEDANTS OF AHAB: There are still seventy sons of Ahab alive and they are being protected by a group of people.  Jehu tells these people to select one of these sons of Ahab to be king and then prepare to do bat

The Lord is clearly in charge of establishing the leaders of the world and then replacing them according to His will.  When leaders refuse to honor and obey God with the power that they have been given, God will often replace them.  At times God acts quickly while at other times His judgment seems to be slow in coming.  Whatever the case may be, we can be sure that He is in control and the leaders that we have are the leaders He has chosen for us at this current time.  This should inspire all men to fear the Lord and use any authority that He gives for His glory and to obey His commands. JEHU IS ANOINTED KING OF ISRAEL BY ELISHA: Elisha sends one of the prophets with whom he serves to go to Jehu and secretly anoint him as the king of Israel.  The current king has been injured in battle and is recovering from his wounds.  God is making a change and establishes Jehu as the next king.  Elisha speaks for the Lord as the Lord spoke to Elisha.  When Jehu’s companions discover what the

Our lives are in the hand of the almighty God who created and sustains the universe.  It is within His power to protect as well as to destroy.  God is never taken by surprise and He does not worry about the events that happen or the circumstances on earth.  Famine, illness and even rebellion do not catch God off guard.  We can rest assured that He not only knows of our circumstances but that He is using them to bring about His will in our lives and realize His plan in the world. GOD RESTORES THE PROPERTY OF THE SHUNAMMITE: The Shunammite woman had ministered to Elisha and God blessed her with a son that died and God brought him back from the dead through Elisha.  Once again God shows special care for this woman and her family as Elisha warns them of the coming famine and allows them to flee to a place where they could get food.  However, when they return, their land had been inhabited by others.  Providentially, when she goes to appeal to the king concerning her land; Gehazi, E

The famine in the land due to the Syrian army surrounding the city was so severe that the people were beginning to despair to the point of eating their own children.  In their desperation they choose to blame God for their situation instead of seek God’s direction.  When they come to Elisha in order to take him prisoner and likely kill him; he promises that within the next twenty-four hours there will be great abundance of food.  The promise seems completely unbelievable, yet with God all things are possible. GOD DESTROYS THE ENEMY: God has demonstrated time and time again His ability to destroy the armies of nations without the help of any other army.  It is amazing that the people do not seek for His help in their desperation instead of blaming Him and further complicating their situation.  That is the reality of men who are overcome by sin.  Sin blinds us and causes us to question God instead of submit to Him and seek Him.  Despite Israel’s unfaithfulness and failure to seek H

We can have great confidence in the Lord and His ability to meet each of our needs according to His will.  There is no need so big that it exceeds His ability to meet.  There is no problem so small that He does not care.  God is all-powerful to be able to rescue from the most powerful enemy.  God is all-caring so He is attentive to the smallest of our concerns.  His power and care should bring great peace to all who trust and serve Him. GOD PROVIDES FOR THE PROPHETS WITH A FLOATING AX: When the prophets decided to build a house for themselves and went to the forest to cut down trees for this house; an ax head flew off its handle and fell in the water.  This is a rather small problem but since the ax was borrowed it certainly could have been a great embarrassment for the prophet who had borrowed the ax.  When the prophet tells Elisha, he simply cuts down a stick, throws it in the water and the ax head floats to the top of the water and is recovered.  This is obviously a miracle th

Pride and selfishness are qualities that put us in a very dangerous position.  God blesses the humble and obedient but He opposes the proud.  Naaman almost remained a leper because of his pride while Gehazi became a leper because of his selfishness.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ is very clear, easy to understand and is not at all difficult to attain.  The Gospel is in reach of all men and does not come from our own merits or hard work.  However, the Gospel is unattractive to so many because it eliminates all potential of pride.  Humble repentance and simple faith are the only demands the Gospel makes.  It would be far more attractive to men if the Gospel required some form of self-sacrifice or if it could be purchased.  Pride and the Gospel are incompatible which is why we must learn to humble ourselves before the Lord and simply trust what Christ has done as our only hope. NAAMAN LOST HIS PRIDE AND FOUND HIS HEALING: Naaman was a powerful warrior and a man of great influence in Sy

The power of God and His providential care are blessings that He makes available to us in amazing ways.  There is no doubt that God used Elisha to minister to the needs of the people around him through supernatural means.  God used him to bless others and raised others up to bless him as well.  It is a beautiful thing to see God using the lives of people to bless and strengthen one another through the power and provision that He supplies.  We can take great comfort in knowing that we serve this same all powerful and caring God and that He continues to use us to minister in the lives of one another. GOD PROVIDES HELP FOR A POOR WIDOW: Elisha was approached by a widow who had no means of paying her debts and supporting her sons.  She was without hope and without help but she was not without faith.  God chose to use the little oil that she had to provide for all of her needs.  Elisha instructed her to go gather empty vessels and then poor from the jar of oil into them.  God make the

Victory is not always a sign of God’s approval in our lives.  The army of Israel under the leadership of their king, Jehoram was victorious over the army of Moab.  However, the Lord is not at all pleased with Israel or Jehoram.  This may be a case where the lesser of two evils won or simply that the Lord had decided to judge Moab for their terrible idolatry.  We must be careful not to consider that our success in some venture is indicative of God’s approval in every area of our lives. A COALITION FORMS AND FALTERS: Jehoram is the son of Ahab and is described as being evil but not as evil as his father had been.  He actually removed the pillar of Baal that Ahab had built, but he continued to be an idolatrous king.  Halfhearted reforms are not sufficient to please the Lord, He wants our undivided worship.  When the king of Moab rebels against Israel and refuses to pay their tax; Israel forms a coalition with Judah as well as Edom to go and attack Moab.  However as they are marching

It is a great honor to serve the Lord.  Elijah was well aware of this fact and Elisha was well aware of this fact.  The time had come for Elijah to go up to heaven and Elisha was to take up the mantel of Elijah and be then next prophet in Israel.  God was about to do something very great and Elisha desperately wanted to be a part of this experience and to have the privilege walking in the same path the Elijah had walked.  There are some who consider the work of the ministry to be a burden or even some sort of curse that is to be avoided.  However, we should all have the same attitude as Elisha and recognize that it is a great blessing and ask that the Lord would give us and our children such an honor. ELIJAH REVEALS TO ELISHA THAT HE WILL BE TAKEN TO HEAVEN: Most of us have no idea when it is that we might be taken to heaven through death.  God had revealed to Elijah that on this day he would be taken up to heaven but that he would not face death.  Elijah knew that he would be ta

The Word of the Lord is sure and His power is amazing.  Despite the fact that He has proven this over and over again, the leaders of the nation of Israel refuse to trust Him and show no fear of Him.  When King Ahaziah, the son of Ahab has an accident and is in bed he sends messengers to inquire of a foreign god as to what his plight would be.  He has obviously turned his back on the Lord and has no relationship with God whatsoever.  It is scary to consider how quickly the nation got to this point after having seen the power and hand of God at work in the past.  God had shown Himself so powerful to this man’s father and killed the prophets of Baal but still the king does not seek the Lord.  We need to make sure that we are learning from the past and living in the fear of the Lord in the present. ELIJAH INTERCEPTS THE MESSENGERS: When the king sent messengers to seek information from an idol; Elijah meets them and tells them that the king will not recover and instructs them to conf

It is part of human nature to hear what we want to hear and to say what we think others want us to say.  There are many times in our lives where we are more concerned about popularity than we are about truth.  That was certainly the case with Ahab and his 400 “prophets.”  The king of Israel had surrounded himself with men who would simply tell him what he wanted to hear and then claim that they had received a message from God.  Unfortunately, we have many people today who speak in the name of the Lord that simply go about telling people what they want to hear instead of proclaiming the truth of God’s Word.  Certainly a message of peace and prosperity is more popular than a message of repentance and judgment but our main concern should not be about the popularity of our message but the truth of our message. AHAB REJOICES IN LIES: Ahab experienced a season of peace after his humiliation before the Lord.  However, he became proud and decided that he wanted to go to war with Syria an

Today’s passage reminds me of the saying: “be sure your sins will find you out.”  We are often deceived into thinking that we can do some things in secret that will not be discovered; and from a human perspective that may be true.  However, from God’s perspective that is never true; He always knows everything that we do and all that happens in our lives.  We must be very careful not to let the desires of our hearts lead us down a path of destruction through disobedience to the Lord.  This passage is also surprising in that it also demonstrates that there is hope for those who disobey if they will truly repent.  We must constantly check our hearts to make sure that we have not been deceived into thinking that God is unaware of our deeds, but we must also search our hearts to make sure that we have truly repented of our sin. AHAB’S GRIEF: Ahab had a neighbor named Naboth.  Naboth had a vineyard that was very beautiful and well kept.  Ahab wanted to purchase the vineyard in order to