During the reigns of Azariah and Jotham of Judah, were there five kings in Israel? Were Zechariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah, and Pekah good or bad kings of Israel? Will there ever be a righteous king of Israel? Let’s begin in 2 Kings 15.
How long did the 10th king of Judah, Uzziah, reign? Was he similar to Amaziah, his father?
Azariah [Uzziah] son of Amaziah became king of Judah in Jeroboam's twenty-seventh year as king of Israel. He was only 16 years old when he became king, and he ruled 52 years from Jerusalem, which was also the hometown of his mother Jecoliah. Azariah obeyed the Lord by doing right, as his father Amaziah had done. But Azariah did not destroy the local shrines, and they were still used as places for offering sacrifices. The Lord punished Azariah with leprosy for the rest of his life. He wasn't allowed to live in the royal palace, so his son Jotham lived there and ruled in his place. Everything else Azariah did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Judah. Azariah died and was buried beside his ancestors in Jerusalem. His son Jotham then became king. (2 Kings 15:1-7 CEV)
How long did the 14th king of Israel, Zechariah, reign? Was such a short reign normal for evil kings?
In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria six months. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, as his fathers had done. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him and struck him down at Ibleam and put him to death and reigned in his place. Now the rest of the deeds of Zechariah, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. (This was the promise of the Lord that he gave to Jehu, “Your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.” And so it came to pass.) (2 Kings 15:8-12 ESV)
How long did the 15th king of Israel, Shallum, reign? How short was his reign?
In the thirty-ninth year of Judah’s King Uzziah, Shallum son of Jabesh became king; he reigned in Samaria a full month. Then Menahem son of Gadi came up from Tirzah to Samaria and struck down Shallum son of Jabesh there. He killed him and became king in his place. As for the rest of the events of Shallum’s reign, along with the conspiracy that he formed, they are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings. (2 Kings 15:13-15 HCSB)
How long did the 16th king of Israel, Menahem, reign? Was he like all the other kings of Israel, evil?
At another time, Menahem attacked Tiphsah and all of its inhabitants, including its coastlands from Tirzah, because they would not open the city gate for him. After defeating them, he ripped open all of their pregnant women. In the thirty-ninth year of the reign of Azariah, king of Judah, Gadi’s son Menahem began a ten-year reign over Israel from Samaria. He did what the Lord considered to be evil by never abandoning the sins of Nebat’s son Jeroboam, who caused Israel to sin, as long as he lived. Later on, King Pul of Aram attacked the land, and Menahem paid Pul 1,000 silver talents so Pul would join forces with Menahem to secure his hold on the kingdom. Menahem exacted the money from all of Israel’s powerful and wealthy men, 50 shekels from each, to pay the king of Aram. As a result, the king of Aram retreated and did not remain there in the land. The rest of Menahem’s activities, including everything that he did, are recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel, are they not? Then Menahem died, as did his ancestors, and his son Pekahiah reigned in his place. (2 Kings 15:16-22 ISV)
How long did the 17th king of Israel, Pekahiah, reign? Was he also assassinated?
In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the king's house, with Argob and Arieh, and with him fifty men of the Gileadites: and he killed him, and reigned in his room. And the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. (2 Kings 15:23-26 KJV)
How long did the 18th king of Israel, Pekah, reign? Did he also do what was evil in the sight of God? Was he also assassinated?
In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah son of Remaliah became king over Israel in Samaria and reigned twenty years. And he did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin. In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon and Abel-beth-maacah and Janoah and Kedesh and Hazor and Gilead and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali; and he took them away into exile to Assyria. And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah and struck him and put him to death and became king in his place, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah. Now the rest of the acts of Pekah and all that he did, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. (2 Kings 15:27-31 LSB)
How long did the 11th king of Judah, Jotham, reign? Was he similar to Amaziah, his father?
In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel, Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah became king. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord; he acted in accordance with everything that his father Uzziah had done. Only the high places were not eliminated; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. He built the upper gate of the house of the Lord. Now as for the rest of the acts of Jotham which he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? In those days the Lord began to send Rezin the king of Aram and Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah. And Jotham lay down with his fathers, and he was buried with his fathers in the city of his father David; and his son Ahaz became king in his place. (2 Kings 15:32-38 NASB)
Will there ever be a righteous king of Israel? What did Nathanael declare to Jesus?
Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.” (John 1:49 NIV)
During the reigns of Azariah and Jotham of Judah, were there five kings in Israel? Were Zechariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah good or bad kings of Israel? Will there ever be a righteous king of Israel? You decide!
