2 Kings 15:23-31 ESV
23 In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned two years. 24 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 25 And Pekah the son of Remaliah, his captain, conspired against him with fifty men of the people of Gilead, and struck him down in Samaria, in the citadel of the king's house with Argob and Arieh; he put him to death and reigned in his place. 26 Now the rest of the deeds of Pekahiah and all that he did, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

27 In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twenty years. 28 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin.

29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and he carried the people captive to Assyria. 30 Then Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah and struck him down and put him to death and reigned in his place, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah. 31 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.

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SLOWLY BUT SURELY

Someday asked, “How to eat an elephant?” One chew at a time is the witty answer. Bit by bit, the Northern Kingdom eventually fell to the Assyrians during the reign of Hosea. During King Menahem’s reign, he paid tribute to Pul [Tiglath Pezer], the king of Assyria, so that there was a temporary respite. “The king of Assyria turned back and did not stay there in the land.”[v.20] But, he stood as the threat on the horizon because Aram had given way to Assyria as the great northern army. After Menahem, his son Pekahiah reigned only to be assasinated by Pekah, one of his chief officers. Argob and Arieh were assasinated too, who perhaps were Pekahiah’s sons.

Pekah’s reign of 20 years was longer than his predecessors combined. However, he noticed that Tiglath-Pileser [Pul] had indeed replaced Aram as the great foe. “He came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and he carried the people captive to Assyria.”[v.29] After his assasination, the kingdom led by his killer Hosea eventually fell under the Assyrian kingdom.

In the same manner, the enslavement of sin comes from one compromise to another. The approach of our enemy is as a guerella tactical skirmishes. Their little advancement may be taken for granted so that encroachment will be inevitable in the future. The dam collapses when a small leak is unattended. The roof fell when a little hole is taken for granted. Thus, we should not let any foothold of the enemy to wield his power. By His grace, let’s nip the bud of sin for a little leaven will leaven the whole lump in a matter of time. James said, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” [Jas 1:14,15]

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