13 Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah, and he reigned one month in Samaria. 14 Then Menahem the son of Gadi came up from Tirzah and came to Samaria, and he struck down Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria and put him to death and reigned in his place. 15 Now the rest of the deeds of Shallum, and the conspiracy that he made, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 16 At that time Menahem sacked Tiphsah and all who were in it and its territory from Tirzah on, because they did not open it to him. Therefore he sacked it, and he ripped open all the women in it who were pregnant. (II Kings 15)
Often, in reading these accounts, it is hard to believe we are reading about those who are supposed to be living as the people of God. Menahem could well have been nicknamed Mayhem. Talk about instability! He killed the king after only one month of rule, then committed one of the most wicked acts of revenge recorded in scripture (and history!) The passage goes on to tell more about his "accomplishments" as king, but this paragraph gives enough of an idea. What evil are we capable of? Were it not for the work of the Holy Spirit transforming our minds and hearts, we are capable of nothing less. May He change us and use our "creativity" for Godly good, blessing everyone we meet today.
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