Daily Manna 16 September
TEXT: 2 Kings 15:1-12
1. In the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign.
2. Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem.
3. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done;
4. Save that the high places were not removed; the people sacrificed and burnt incense still on the high places.
5. And the LORD smote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house. And Jotham the king’s son was over the house, judging the people of the land.
6. And the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
7. So Azariah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David; and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.
8. In the thirty and eighth year of Azariah king of Judah did Zachariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months.
9. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done; he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
10. And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him before the people, and slew him, and reigned in his stead.
11. And the rest of the acts of Zachariah, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
12. This was the word of the LORD which he spake unto Jehu, saying, Thy sons shall sit on the throne of Israel unto the fourth generation. And so it came to pass.
KEY VERSE: “In the thirty and eighth year of Azariah king of Judah did Zachariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months.” – 2 Kings 15:8-9,10
Read yesterday’s Daily Manna here
Matthew Henry said, “The greatest of men are not only subject to the common calamities, but also to the common infirmities of human nature; and, if they be guilty of any heinous sin, they lie as open as the meanest to the most grievous strokes of divine vengeance”. And because sin is like leprosy, even kings are not immune from its effect.
Our passage today tells us the stories of two kings, one in Judah and the other in Israel. The first is Azariah (also known as Uzziah) the son of King Amaziah of Judah who reigned for fifty-two years in Jerusalem. He started as a good king “And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done” (2 Kings 15:3).
The book of 2 Chronicles chapter 26 gives more details of his prowess and achievements. However, in today’s reading no such information is given to us except about the leprosy that affected him.
The Bible says God smote him with leprosy till his death. He started so well but ended poorly. The second king, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam, reigned only for six months over Israel. He started as a bad king and ended still a bad king. He was assassinated by Shallum, who took over the kingdom after his death.
The story of the two kings reminds us of the reality of divine judgment awaiting everyone. Kings wield such great power that they could assume they are beyond divine rebuke. A leper is a leper, even if he becomes a king. As Azariah was unceremoniously bundled out of the palace, so will God remove every leper from His presence.
The only solution to treating the sin of leprosy is through repentance and confessions of sin to the Lord Jesus. He is the Lamb of God who died to take away the sins of the world. Anyone, big or small, who comes to Him in humility, will receive pardon and cleansing from stains and blemishes of sins.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Sin destroys; Jesus delivers.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 1-3
Thanks for reading Today’s Daily Manna – No Respecter Of Persons – by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi.
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Daily Manna 16 September 2020 Devotional
