◄ 2 Kings 15:18 ►
And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and throughout his reign he did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.
Study Bible
And he did evil in the sight of the LORD
This phrase indicates a moral and spiritual evaluation from God's perspective, emphasizing divine standards rather than human judgment. The "evil" refers to actions contrary to God's commandments, often involving idolatry and injustice. The phrase "in the sight of the LORD" underscores God's omniscience and the accountability of leaders to divine authority. This evaluation is a recurring theme in the books of Kings, highlighting the spiritual decline of Israel and Judah.

and throughout his reign
This suggests a persistent pattern of behavior rather than isolated incidents. The reign of a king was often seen as a reflection of the nation's spiritual state. The duration of a king's reign could be seen as a period of testing or opportunity for repentance, which in this case was not taken. The continuity of evil practices indicates a hardened heart and a failure to heed prophetic warnings.

he did not turn away from the sins
This phrase indicates a lack of repentance and reform. Repentance in the biblical sense involves a complete turning away from sin and a return to God. The failure to turn away suggests stubbornness and a refusal to acknowledge wrongdoing. This is a common critique of Israel's kings, who often perpetuated the sins of their predecessors rather than seeking to restore covenant faithfulness.

that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit
Jeroboam, the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel, established a pattern of idolatry by setting up golden calves at Bethel and Dan (1 Kings 12:28-30). This act was a direct violation of the first two commandments and led Israel into sin. Jeroboam's actions set a precedent for subsequent kings, illustrating the long-lasting impact of a leader's sin. The reference to Jeroboam highlights the historical continuity of idolatry and the failure of later kings to break away from this sinful legacy.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Menahem
The king of Israel during this time, who continued in the sinful practices of his predecessors.

2. Jeroboam son of Nebat
The first king of the northern kingdom of Israel, known for leading Israel into idolatry.

3. Israel
The northern kingdom, which was often led astray by its kings into idolatry and sin.

4. The LORD
The God of Israel, who consistently called His people to repentance and faithfulness.

5. The Sins of Jeroboam
Refers to the idolatrous practices initiated by Jeroboam, including the worship of golden calves.
Teaching Points
The Consequences of Leadership
Leaders have a profound impact on the spiritual direction of their people. Menahem's failure to turn from sin led Israel further away from God.

The Danger of Idolatry
Idolatry is a recurring sin in Israel's history, demonstrating the human tendency to replace God with tangible objects or ideas. Believers today must guard against modern forms of idolatry.

The Importance of Repentance
Despite the persistent sin, God continually called Israel to repentance. This highlights God's mercy and the importance of turning back to Him.

Generational Sin
The sins of Jeroboam had long-lasting effects on Israel. This serves as a warning about the potential for sin to affect future generations if not addressed.

Faithfulness to God's Commands
The repeated failure to adhere to God's commands underscores the need for believers to remain faithful and obedient to God's Word.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the leadership of Menahem reflect the spiritual state of Israel during his reign?

2. In what ways can modern believers identify and avoid the "idols" in their own lives?

3. What are some practical steps we can take to ensure that we are not perpetuating generational sins?

4. How does the account of Menahem and the sins of Jeroboam challenge us to examine our own faithfulness to God's commands?

5. How can we, as a community of believers, support each other in turning away from sin and towards repentance?
Connections to Other Scriptures
1 Kings 12:25-33
Details the establishment of the golden calves by Jeroboam, which became a sin for Israel.

2 Kings 13:2
Mentions the continuation of Jeroboam's sins by other kings, showing a pattern of disobedience.

Exodus 20:3-4
The Ten Commandments, which explicitly forbid idolatry, highlighting the gravity of Israel's sin.

Hosea 8:4-6
The prophet Hosea condemns the idolatry of Israel, specifically referencing the calves of Samaria.
Sermons
Some Lessons from the History of KingsD. Thomas 2 Kings 15:1-38
Anarchy in IsraelJ. Orr 2 Kings 15:8-22
People
Abel, Ahaz, Amaziah, Amram, Aram, Argob, Arieh, Azaliah, Azariah, David, Elah, Gadi, Gileadites, Hoshea, Jabesh, Jecholiah, Jecoliah, Jehu, Jeroboam, Jerusha, Jotham, Maacah, Menahem, Naphtali, Nebat, Pekah, Pekahiah, Pul, Remaliah, Rezin, Shallum, Tappuah, Tiglathpileser, Tirzah, Uzziah, Zachariah, Zadok, Zechariah
Places
Abel-beth-maacah, Assyria, Damascus, Galilee, Gilead, Hazor, Ibleam, Ijon, Janoah, Jerusalem, Kedesh, Samaria, Syria, Tirzah
Topics
Aside, Caused, Commit, Depart, Departed, Didn't, During, Entire, Evil, Jeroboam, Jerobo'am, Nebat, Reign, Sight, Sin, Sins, Turn, Wherewith
Dictionary of Bible Themes
2 Kings 15:1-38

     5366   king

2 Kings 15:17-18

     8739   evil, examples of

Library
The Twelve Minor Prophets.
1. By the Jewish arrangement, which places together the twelve minor prophets in a single volume, the chronological order of the prophets as a whole is broken up. The three greater prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, stand in the true order of time. Daniel began to prophesy before Ezekiel, but continued, many years after him. The Jewish arrangement of the twelve minor prophets is in a sense chronological; that is, they put the earlier prophets at the beginning, and the later at the end of the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

Meditations Before Dinner and Supper.
Meditate that hunger is like the sickness called a wolf; which, if thou dost not feed, will devour thee, and eat thee up; and that meat and drink are but as physic, or means which God hath ordained, to relieve and cure this natural infirmity and necessity of man. Use, therefore, to eat and to drink, rather to sustain and refresh the weakness of nature, than to satisfy the sensuality and delights of the flesh. Eat, therefore, to live, but live not to eat. There is no service so base, as for a man …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

A Living Book
[Illustration: (drop cap T) Symbol of "Asshur", the principal Assyrian idol.] There is only one Book that never grows old. For thousands of years men have been writing books. Most books are forgotten soon after they are written; a few of the best and wisest are remembered for a time. But all at last grow old; new discoveries are made; new ideas arise; the old books are out of date; their usefulness is at an end. Students are the only people who still care to read them. The nations to which the …
Mildred Duff—The Bible in its Making

In Galilee at the Time of Our Lord
"If any one wishes to be rich, let him go north; if he wants to be wise, let him come south." Such was the saying, by which Rabbinical pride distinguished between the material wealth of Galilee and the supremacy in traditional lore claimed for the academies of Judaea proper. Alas, it was not long before Judaea lost even this doubtful distinction, and its colleges wandered northwards, ending at last by the Lake of Gennesaret, and in that very city of Tiberias which at one time had been reputed unclean! …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

The Prophet Micah.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS. Micah signifies: "Who is like Jehovah;" and by this name, the prophet is consecrated to the incomparable God, just as Hosea was to the helping God, and Nahum to the comforting God. He prophesied, according to the inscription, under Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. We are not, however, entitled, on this account, to dissever his prophecies, and to assign particular discourses to the reign of each of these kings. On the contrary, the entire collection forms only one whole. At …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

The Prophet Hosea.
GENERAL PRELIMINARY REMARKS. That the kingdom of Israel was the object of the prophet's ministry is so evident, that upon this point all are, and cannot but be, agreed. But there is a difference of opinion as to whether the prophet was a fellow-countryman of those to whom he preached, or was called by God out of the kingdom of Judah. The latter has been asserted with great confidence by Maurer, among others, in his Observ. in Hos., in the Commentat. Theol. ii. i. p. 293. But the arguments …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Kings
The book[1] of Kings is strikingly unlike any modern historical narrative. Its comparative brevity, its curious perspective, and-with some brilliant exceptions--its relative monotony, are obvious to the most cursory perusal, and to understand these things is, in large measure, to understand the book. It covers a period of no less than four centuries. Beginning with the death of David and the accession of Solomon (1 Kings i., ii.) it traverses his reign with considerable fulness (1 Kings iii.-xi.), …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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