2 Kings 15:8-12--Zechariah Reigns in Israel

2 Kings 15:8-12
English Standard Version
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Zechariah Reigns in Israel
8 In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria six months. 9 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 10 Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him and struck him down at Ibleam and put him to death and reigned in his place. 11 Now the rest of the deeds of Zechariah, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 12 (This was the promise of the LORD that he gave to Jehu, “Your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.” And so it came to pass.)

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This passage tells us that Zechariah, the son of Jeroboam II, came to power in Israel in the 38th year of Azariah, king of Judah.  Zechariah had a very short reign and only ruled in the capital city of Samaria in Israel for six months because he was wicked and did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, not departing for the ways of Jeroboam I, which led all of the northern kingdom of Israel into the sin of idolatry.

Shallum, the son of Jabesh, conspired against him to assassinate him, and struck him down and killed him at Ibleam so that Shallum took his place to reign as king of Israel.  As few as they may be during a short six-month reign, the rest of the deeds of King Zechariah are recorded in the Book of Chronicles (2 Chronicles in our English Bibles).  This happened to Zechariah to fulfill the word of the LORD that was spoken to Jehu in 2 Kings 10:30, 30 And the Lord said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in carrying out what is right in my eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart, your sons of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.”

So it came to pass that Zechariah being the fourth generation from Jehu was the last of Jehu's descendants to sit on the throne in Israel.  This is the beginning of the end for Israel as they will become more corrupt and more evil until in chapter 17, the LORD is going to send them into Exile--not just to punish them, but as a warning to Judah that they will be next if they don't change their ways, as they are on much of the same path, just a few steps behind Israel.