Make No Provision for the Flesh - 1 Kings 11-15

2 Kings 15:1-7 (ESV)

In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah the son of Amaziah, king of Judah, began to reign. He was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. And the LORD touched the king, so that he was a leper to the day of his death, and he lived in a separate house. And Jotham the king’s son was over the household, governing the people of the land. Now the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? And Azariah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Jotham his son reigned in his place.

The above is the theme of 2 Kings.  The book is about how the kings of Israel (North) and Judah (South) come to become the king and then cease to be the king; and a brief explanation of what happens in between.   The above is a perfect picture of many of the kings.   None of the kings of Israel are ever stated as doing what was right in the eyes of the LORD.  There are some of the kings of Judah who did what was right and the above summary of Azariah is one of them.  But like many who did what was right he did not do enough.  He left the high places in tact.   The high places were where they offered sacrifices to false gods.  As with all believers, when you leave a place in your life where sin can happen, it will happen.   Note what Paul warned the Roman Christians about:

Romans 13:14 (ESV)

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

When you make provision for the flesh, the flesh will avail itself of that provision.   But God does not stand idle in those situations.  He demands holiness from us.  In this case Azariah was cursed with leprosy.  Note something else God states through Paul:

Galatians 6:7 (ESV)

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

These examples of the kings in the Bible are for our learning.  Learn this lesson from Azariah.  

1 Corinthians 10:6 (ESV)

Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.