Frustrating Pekah

In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abel-beth-maacah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali; and he carried them captive to Assyria. 30 And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah. 2 Kings 15:29-30

I like movies where the villain’s plans are frustrated by the only good guy around. There is something invigorating about the triumph of good over evil. Pekah the king of Israel was evil. In addition to the account here in 2 Kings 15, we also have some information about him in the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah 7:1-9; 8:1-8 tell us of Pekah’s intention to replace Ahaz the king of Judah with another who would be more favorable to Pekah’s ideals. However, the Lord stood in his way through the prophet Isaiah.

Pekah is also known as the king who experienced the first of the deportation of his people to Assyria by the hand of Tiglath-Pileaser (Pul). A quite evil man in his own right, Pul was recorded by his own historians as bragging on what he had done to Israel. He even takes credit for Pekah being put to death by Hoshea. Soon afterward, the kingdom will fall to the Assyrians and be taken captive. It appears as time progresses, more coups and bloodshed lead to further attacks by foreign adversaries and further judgments by Jehovah.

We must take into account that the crisis of leadership was continual for Israel as an apostate kingdom. God loved His children but their hearts were far from Him. They continued to allow the atrocities of evil carried out by audacious regimes to fester in their land; it seems like whoever was the last one standing became king. This is how Pekah came to power and how he would go out. God opposed this wicked man and gave him over to his enemies. God frustrated the plans of the wicked. This is a good and appropriate prayer also to pray. The Psalmist wrote, Jehovah bringeth the counsel of the nations to nought; He maketh the thoughts of the peoples to be of no effect Psalm 33:10.

Grace and Peace,

R.D. Beavers

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