ZACHARIAH REIGHNS IN ISRAEL

Reading from 2 Kings Ch. 15 vs 8-12

One thing about God is that he keeps his word. Here and there you hear people complain about God failing them or not doing so and so but I think it’s good to ask ourselves that did God really say he’d do those things? Did he agree to those requests or do we just ask and assume it’s a yes and feel betrayed when it doesn’t work out how we thought? Because one characteristic about God is he cannot lie, he is truth itself and so if he did agree to do something or said a particular thing, know that it will most definitely come to pass, maybe not when you think but it will happen. He is very faithful to his word that’s why we are encouraged to pray using it because he will always yield to the things he has said because he said them. This passage is really short but how it ends is what drew me to write about it. For some context you can read the study on Jehu Strikes down the prophets of Baal. Basically this passage draws from the man Jehu who God used to fulfil the words he spoke against Ahab the evil king.

Now when God anointed Jehu to be king in Israel and he actually begun to reign, God promised him something. God said to Jehu that because he had done well in his sight and had done to the house of Ahab what was in Gods heart, his sons would rule till the fourth generation. Basically four generations from Jehu would sit on the throne of Israel, he wasn’t from the ordinary succession line but because he did the will of God his family got blessed. It’s interesting how when we obey God he can make the most wild exceptions for us in the world, he can get you in rooms you have no place being in or just allow you to flourish in a way that makes no sense. But one thing about God is he values our obedience to him, Jehu might have done what God sent him to do and fulfilled his word but he did not stay walking in the things of God. Jehu continued in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the guy who made the golden calves and high places for people to worship idols so they don’t go to Jerusalem to worship God.

So now think of that situation, the guy did do good but he turned from the way of God, but also God did promise him that his sons would sit on the throne. In our regular way of thinking we would assume or think most likely God will cut off the line of Jehu because he disobeyed him but that’s not how God works. Remember God will always keep his word, even when we sin, he is not man to lie or change his mind, he knows what he is doing, so they continued to rule. Now God staying true to his word doesn’t mean he will walk with you and protect or do whatever for you as you sin, no, he will remove himself from you. So if you read about what was actually happening from Jehu down to Zachariah, they were just getting attacked and losing men. They didn’t repent or turn from the sin but they still sat on that throne, so it’s really up to us. God will always hold his own but you can’t expect to benefit from him when you are doing the things that oppose him.

Zachariah was the Fourth generation basically in Jehu’s line and he reigned only six months. When I read this I thought like God was just done with them at this point, the promise was fulfilled and there was no longer any reason for God to allow them to stay there ruling. In a weird way God did keep them there over the years, he could have wiped them out but he preserved them so the promise would be completed and there would be nothing against his name. God is just and it sometimes doesn’t seem like it because we don’t understand that there’s many powers and agreements happening at any particular time, there’s more to this world than what meets the eye. Zachariah did do the same things that his fathers did, he also walked in the evils/sin of Jeroboam and a man called Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him. He struck him down in Ibleam and put him to death and reigned in his place. What I found funny was God just used this Shallum guy because he literally only reigned for a month before someone else came and put him to death. But that’s the thing, it is possible for God to extend his promises but its dependant on if we stay in him and obey his word, if not it expires exactly on the date.

It’s interesting to really think of God is a man of his word, but we must make sure he has actually said something before expecting him to bring it to pass or fulfilment. He will keep his promises regardless of what we do or what happens in the mix and I just hope we can actually do our part. It’s amazing what he can make happen when we obey him, so make sure you read the word so you can pray back to him his words so he can/will answer. But do also just listen and walk with him diligently so that whatever he does speak specifically for your life, you do walk in that/his direction and get to see what he will bring to pass for you. Remember Jesus loves you always!