Chapter Summary

Reign of Azariah and Jotham over Judah and Zechariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah over Israel.

Discussion Questions for 2 Kings, Chapter 15

1. How is it that Azariah did what was right in the Lord’s eyes when he allowed the people to continue practicing idolatry?
2. Why isn’t Judah’s idolatry presented with the same degree of negative connotation as Israel’s?
3. Do you think the Lord giving Azariah leprosy was an act of judgment for allowing idolatry? Do you think that bad things happening to people in open and defiant sinful lifestyles is God’s judgment on them, or just the circumstances of living in a fallen world?
4. What do the assassinations of the Israelite kings, Zechariah, Shallum, Pekahiah, and Pekah, over the course of less than 20 years say about the culture? What influence do you think their religious corruption had on this culture?
5. Jeroboam’s legacy was one of forced idolatry (1 Kings 12:28-30). What kind of a legacy are you leaving behind?
6. How did the Lord fulfill His promise to Jehu? Would you have expected the 4th generation’s term to have been cut short by an assassination after only 6 months? What does Zechariah's untimely demise show about God's promises?
7. How do we see a proverbial statement from Jesus (Matthew 26:52) fulfilled in Shallum’s life? What relevance does “living and dying by the sword” have in our lives?
8. Why would God allow such an evil and savagely brutal man to rule over His people? Was this an act of judgment against Israel for their idolatry? How do you reconcile what you know of God's mercy and ability to save, with this treatment of His people?
9. How did Menahem oppress his own people in order to advance his own ambitions? Given the fact that Menahem was the only king of Israel out of the five chronicled in this chapter to die of natural causes, can we conclude that might is right? Why or why not?
10. Why would the Lord send evil kings of idolatrous nations against a king who obeyed Him and a people who, for the most part, worshipped Him?

Key Words/Phrase

Reigns.

Characters

God, Azariah, Jotham, Zechariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pul, Pekahiah, Pekah, Rezin, Ahaz.

Strong Verse(s)

12