What is the meaning of 2 Kings 15:9? And he did evil in the sight of the LORD • Scripture measures right and wrong by what the LORD sees and declares (Judges 3:7; Proverbs 15:3). • Evil here is not a mere social failure; it is moral rebellion against the covenant God who had clearly revealed His standard in His Law (Deuteronomy 5:7–21). • The LORD’s “sight” reminds us that no king, nation, or individual can hide behind title or tradition—His gaze penetrates palaces and pews alike (Psalm 33:13-15). • In practical terms, the reign of King Zechariah (the “he” in 2 Kings 15:9) continued the idolatrous worship at the shrines in Bethel and Dan, opposing the exclusive worship called for in Deuteronomy 12:5-7. as his fathers had done • Zechariah followed the same path as preceding northern kings such as Jehoash and Jeroboam II (2 Kings 13:11; 14:24), normalizing compromise instead of repentance. • This pattern underscores how leadership choices ripple through generations; what one ruler permits, the next often repeats (Exodus 34:7; 1 Kings 15:26). • The phrase cautions believers today: inherited habits—national, familial, or personal—are not excuses to disobey God’s revealed will (Ezekiel 18:19-20). • God’s standard never changes, even when sinful patterns become culturally embedded (Malachi 3:6). He did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit • Jeroboam I established rival altars with golden calves, declaring, “Here are your gods, O Israel” (1 Kings 12:28-33). That counterfeit worship became the default religion of the northern kingdom. • Zechariah’s failure was two-fold: – He personally stayed loyal to idolatry. – He kept the nation locked in the same sin, showing how a leader’s refusal to repent prolongs corporate guilt (2 Kings 10:29; 17:21-23). • “Did not turn away” signals deliberate persistence: the king heard prophetic warnings yet chose the broad road of convenience over the narrow road of obedience (2 Kings 14:25; Amos 7:10-13). • The verse illustrates James 4:17—“If anyone, then, knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin” (cf. Luke 12:47-48). summary 2 Kings 15:9 records that King Zechariah continued the entrenched idolatry begun by Jeroboam I, repeating the evil of his predecessors and confirming that God’s evaluation of a life or reign is based on faithfulness to His revealed word. The verse warns against generational complacency, calls leaders and followers alike to wholehearted repentance, and affirms that the LORD’s unchanging gaze remains the final measure of righteousness. |
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