Last Sunday Lee Tankersley preached a searching sermon on 2 Kings 14-17, “A Sobering Call to Turn from Sin.”Â  Walking through the text, the refrain of the continuing impact on the Northern Kingdom of the deeds of Jeroboam is unmistakable.  The picture is clear- the first king of this group set an example and trajectory which shaped the rest of their history until their destruction.  Jeroboam’s ways affected rulers who descended from him and those who did not.  Note the refrain:

Zechariah (son of Jeroboam)– 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. (2 Kings 15:9)

Menahem – And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart all his days from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. (2 Kings 15:18)

Pekahiah (son of Menahem) – 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. (2 Kings 15:24)

Pekah – 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. (2 Kings 15:28)

Summary at the destruction of Israel- When he had torn Israel from the house of David, they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. And Jeroboam drove Israel from following the Lord and made them commit great sin. The people of Israel walked in all the sins that Jeroboam did. They did not depart from them, until the Lord removed Israel out of his sight, as he had spoken by all his servants the prophets. So Israel was exiled from their own land to Assyria until this day. (2 Kings 17:21-23)

Pastors, what we do today matters for eternity.  The example of the leadership echoes down through the generations for good or ill.  Our only hope is Christ!  Let us be examples of ready repentance and dependence on Christ.