HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO?

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to ourchristianwalk@aol.com. In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned six months. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as his fathers had done. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.

Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah. He attacked him in front of the people, assassinated him and succeeded him as king. The other events of Zechariah's reign are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel. So the word of the Lord spoken to Jehu was fulfilled: "Your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation."

Shallum son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah, and he reigned in Samaria one month. Then Menahem son of Gadi went from Tirzah up to Samaria. He attacked Shallum son of Jabesh in Samaria, assassinated him and succeeded him as king.

The other events of Shallum's reign, and the conspiracy he led, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel.

At that time Menahem, starting out from Tirzah, attacked Tiphsah and everyone in the city and its vicinity, because they refused to open their gates. He sacked Tiphsah and ripped open all the pregnant women.

In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem son of Gadi became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria ten years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. During his entire reign he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.

Then Pul king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem gave him a thousand talents of silver to gain his support and strengthen his own hold on the kingdom. 20 Menahem exacted this money from Israel. Every wealthy man had to contribute fifty shekels of silver to be given to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria withdrew and stayed in the land no longer.

As for the other events of Menahem's reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? Menahem rested with his fathers. And Pekahiah his son succeeded him as king.

In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah son of Menahem became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned two years. Pekahiah did evil in the eyes of the Lord. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit. One of his chief officers, Pekah son of Remaliah, conspired against him. Taking fifty men of Gilead with him, he assassinated Pekahiah, along with Argob and Arieh, in the citadel of the royal palace at Samaria. So Pekah killed Pekahiah and succeeded him as king.

The other events of Pekahiah's reign, and all he did, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel.

In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah son of Remaliah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twenty years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.

In the time of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh and Hazor. He took Gilead and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali, and deported the people to Assyria. Then Hoshea son of Elah conspired against Pekah son of Remaliah. He attacked and assassinated him, and then succeeded him as king in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah.

As for the other events of Pekah's reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

2 Kings 15:8-31

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

I remember a movie that was out some time ago titled, "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle". The movie was very suspense filled as a woman who had experienced the tragic loss of her first child at delivery, an event that left her barren, proceeded to pose as a nanny for another couple who had just had a successful birth so she could have their baby for her own.

As the movie progresses, the audience watches the nanny gain the trust of the family while in the background, she did her evil deeds which included seducing the husband, emptying the wife's inhalers needed to treat her asthma, rigging the greenhouse so that one of the wife’s closest friends would be killed, and breastfeeding the newborn baby so it would yearn her more that the true mother. Such was the intense nature of this woman wanting to get her own way. She was willing to do whatever it took.

This problem in our society spans far wider than just this movie. Unfortunately, we too often are driven to try and get our way, no matter what we might need to do to get there...and in doing so, we forget the very command of God which tells us not to covet. (Exodus 20:17)

And so I ask you today...because God would be asking as well...how far would you go to get what you want?

Our scripture passage today shows us that in the days of Israel's first kings, it was pretty much anything goes.

In sum, we read where Shallum assassinated Zechariah, not covertly, but rather "in front of the people" to ascend to power.

Shallum was then lost his life and his place on the throne as he was assassinated by Menahem.

Menahem went on to do "evil in the eyes of the Lord" during his reign, and although he didn't assassinate anyone, he "exacted...money from Israel" and used it to bribe Pul, the king of Assyria, and facilitate the withdrawal of Assyrian troops. On the surface, one might see Menahem's actions as noble but one thing was missing. Menahem never once sought the Lord's counsel or guidance as to what he should do.

So did Menahem's actions go without consequence? Not quite.

For after Menahem's son, Pekahiah, ascended to power, he was assassinated after just two years of reign by "one of his chief officers", Pekah. Sometimes, we find that those we think we can trust the most, actually end up being scheming adversaries. Maybe you have experienced this before.

Pekah would rule for 20 years, do evil in sight of the Lord and find his kingdom erode away before his very eyes. For we read where “Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria” attacked and took over “Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh and Hazor” as well as “Gilead and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali”. The Israelites in these lands were “deported…to Assyria.” Soon, all of Israel would be gone…the northern kingdom no more but not before Pekah also met his fate.

For Hoshea conspired against Pekah and assassinated him to reach the throne. It would be the last assassination for the throne of Israel because God would soon enter in and the kingdom would dissolve.

So where did these antics get those who perpetrated them?

Nowhere.

For this is what happens when we decide to ruthlessly do whatever it takes to get what we want, especially when it is at the expense of another. We need not go as far as assassination, although many people today do still kill to get ahead. We can spread false accusations to destroy another’s reputation and elevate ours in place. We can take what rightfully belongs to another to try and achieve greater power or wealth.

Satan would lead us to do whatever it takes. And there would be no limit to his urging…no boundaries to the evil possibilities he would tempt us with.

Meanwhile, think about it. Would God ever seek to lead you to disobey His commandments …ever?

The answer is no.

Nothing of God is evil. Nothing of God is wrong. And nothing of God would lead you to do wrong or evil to satisfy your own will or desires. Conversely, God is always seeking to turn us from our own will and desires toward His.

So the question remains. How far are you willing to go to get what you want?

And maybe a second question should be asked…and asked first.

How willing are you to allow God to guide you away from the evil that Satan wishes you to do?

As we see in our scriptures, things never worked out very well for the ruthless. God shows us in vivid truth that what comes around goes around. Those who killed to get ahead found themselves killed in the same way. Evil too often begets evil.

Thank goodness that God also shows us that goodness also begets goodness and blessing.

We would be so much better off just allowing God to lead us where He wants us to go…to do what He wants us to do.

And we should be willing to go as far as He calls us to go to do so.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed.

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