bible_dkgdm2
DIVIDED KINGDOM
PART 2
by Edith Shelton
Assyrian Captivity of Israel – the Northern Kingdom
ELISHA
After Elisha recrossed the Jordan and was met by sons of prophets: Water in city was bad; Elisha threw salt in spring and prophesied. Going up to Bethel, small boys jeered at him, cursed them in name of Lord; two she-bears came from woods and tore 42 of the boys. Went to Mt. Carmel and returned to Samaria.
JEHORAM (JORAM)
In 18th year of Jehoshaphat of Judah, Jehoram, son of Ahab, began to rule in Israel. Put away Baals, but clung to sin of Jeroboam, son of Nebat. Jehoshaphat joined him in a way against Moab–see Jehoshaphat in Part 1.
ELISHA (cont.)
Widow of one of sons of prophets in need. Told her to borrow empty vessels and poor the oil she had into them. Continued to flow until she ran out of containers. “Sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and son live on the rest.”
Wealthy woman of Shunem, made him a chamber on the roof to occupy when he came by that way. Told her she would have son — which she did. When child was grown, he died. She went to Elisha. Sent Gehazi his servant. He and woman followed. Prayed, stretched out on child, child became warm. Second time child sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.
Gilgal, famine in land, boiled pottage — “death in pot.” Put in meal; now all right to eat. Man brought first fruits of grain — fed 100 men.
Naaman, commander of Syrian army. Had leprosy. Israelite maid told of prophet in Israel. King sent Naaman to king of Israel. Elisha told Naaman to dip in Jordan 7 times. Finally did so, was clean. Wanted to give gifts, but Elisha refused them. Took soil of Israel to make altar. Gehazi followed after to get some of the gifts — 2 garments, 2 talents of silver. Leprosy on him.
Sons of prophets wished to build larger building. Lost ax head. Elisha threw in stick and head floated.
King of Syria warring against Israel. Elisha would warn king of ambushes. King of Syria sent army to take Elisha. Servant afraid; Elisha said “Fear not, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Prayed Lord to open eyes of servant; mountain full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. Prayed to strike them with blindness, led them to Samaria, fed them and sent them back. “Syrians came no more on raids into the land of Israel.”
Ben-hadad with army besieged Samaria. Famine. (II K 7:1) Elisha said tomorrow would be food. Syrians heard sounds as of other army, fled leaving everything behind. Four lepers at gate went out to camp, found it empty, took news back.
Elisha had sent woman whose son he raised from the dead out of land because of famine of 7 yrs. When she returned from land of Philistines, Gehazi was telling king about Elisha’s miracles. King restored her land to her.
Elisha came to Syria, Ben-hadad sent to know about his sickness. Elisha told Hazael that God had told him Hazael would be king of Syria. Hazael killed Ben-hadad and became king.
Elisha sent a young man, a prophet, to Jehu, commander of army, at Ramoth-gilead to anoint him king. Message of God–see II K 9:6-10 When Jehu told those with him of the message, they blew the trumpet and proclaimed him king.
King Jehoram (or Joram) had been with army, but went home to be healed of wounds. Jehu said to let no one leave to go with warning, and he set off for Jezreel.(Ahaziah, king of Judah had gone down to visit Jehoram. Jehoram was uncle of Ahaziah, brother of his mother Athaliah, who was a daughter of Ahab.)
Meanwhile, back in the South, i.e., Judah.
JEHORAM
In the latter part of the reign of Jehoshaphat he apparently was co-reigning with his son Jehoram (who was married to Athaliah, daughter of Ahab). During the reign of his father, Jehoram must have conformed to Jehoshaphat’s ways. But when he became king on his own, he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel “for the daughter of Ahab was his wife.” (II K 8:18) When he came to power, he killed all his brothers and “some of the princes of Judah.” II Chron 21 tells of a letter to him from Elijah (perhaps Elisha?) telling of a plague to come because of his unfaithfulness and that he would die of a disease of the bowels. Various nations came against him. He reigned eight years and died in agony because of the disease, “and he departed with no one’s regret.” (21:20) He was not buried in the tombs of the kings.
AHAZIAH
When Jehoram died, his youngest son Ahaziah was made king. His mother was Athaliah the daughter of Ahab, his grandmother was Jezebel. He was nephew to the Jehoram who was king of Israel, a son of Ahab. He was 22 when he began to reign (II Chr says 42, but hardly) and reigned one year.
He did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the ways of the house of Ahab in the north. He went with Jehoram of Israel to make war against Hazael of Syria at Ramoth-gilead. And he went to visit Jehoram when he was recovering from the wounds received in battle.
So–back to the north.
JEHU
When Jehu left the army camp, he headed for Jezreel to make good the prophecy of the Lord. He came driving rapidly in his chariot, and his driving was recognized by the watchmen on the gate who said “the driving is like the driving of Jehu son of Nimshi; for he drives furiously.” Jehoram (Joram) went out to meet him, and Jehu shot him with an arrow. He also shot Ahaziah, the king of Judah. He had Jezebel thrown down from her window, so she died. And he killed all the princes of Judah and sons of Ahaziah’s brothers who were in Israel. There was no one left in Judah able to rule (old enough), and the wife of Jehoram, Athaliah the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel became queen in Judah.
So here we have a place where the chronology of Judah and Israel come together. Jehu is beginning his reign in the northern kingdom as Athaliah begins her reign in the south.
Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria, who were in the care of various city rulers and elders. Jehu sent messages to them to bring the heads of those sons. And they did. So Jehu slew all the family of Ahab and all his leaders, friends, priests, etc. And he killed all the kinsmen of Ahaziah who had come to visit.
Then he proclaimed a great feast to Baal and said all worshippers of Baal should come to this great sacrifice. He had special vestments for all the worshippers of Baal and said they should be sure no worshippers of God got in there. Then he offered burnt offerings. When he came out he had men stationed to kill all the Baal worshippers. “Thus Jehu wiped out Baal from Israel.” (II K 10:28) But he continued in the sin of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. [Isn’t it strange how some of these kings acknowledge the God of Israel, but still worship the golden calves–the political religion.]
God told Jehu that his sons to the fourth generation would sit on the throne of Israel because he had carried out God’s word against Ahab. II K 10:31,32. But Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the LORD…with all his heart; he did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam…In those days the Lord began to cut off parts of Israel…(giving them to Hazael) Jehu reigned 28 years in Samaria.
JEHOAHAZ
The son of Jehu began to reign in the 23rd year of Joash of Judah and reigned 17 years. He continued in the sins of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, and God kept giving them into the hand of Hazael. But when they sought the Lord, he gave them a leader or savior to overcome Syria and have peace.
JEHOASH (JOASH)
In the 37th year of Joash, king of Judah, Jehoash, son of Jehoahaz, began to reign in Samaria. He did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of Jeroboam.
During the reign of Jehoash Elisha fell ill and died. During his illness Jehoash went to him and wept. See II K 13:14-20. A dead man cast into his grave came to life when he touched the bones of Elisha.
Hazael died and his son Ben-hadad (the third Ben-hadad) became king of Syria. Jehoash defeated him three times and recovered cities of Israel.
JEROBOAM II
Jeroboam is third in line after Jehu. He reigned 41 years and did evil in the sight of the Lord. He restored the boundaries of Israel according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet. (This is the same Jonah who was sent to Nineveh.) So God saved Israel by the hand of Jeroboam.
ZECHARIAH
Zechariah, the fourth generation of the sons of Jehu to sit on the throne–as God promised–only reigned six months. Shallum, son of Jabesh conspired against him and killed him, and reigned in his stead.
SHALLUM
Shallum only reigned one month. Menahem, son of Gadi, came from Tirzah and killed him and took the throne.
MENAHEM
Menahem reigned ten years and did evil in the sight of the Lord. During his reign Assyria enters the picture. Pul, king of Assyria, (also known as Tiglath-Pileser) came against them, and Menahem sent him a thousand talents of silver, so Pul turned back.
PEKAHIAH
Pekahiah, son of Menahem, reigned two years, and Pekah, son of Remaliah, his captain, conspired against him and killed him and became king.
PEKAH
Pekah reigned 20 years. During his reign Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, came and captured part of his territory and carried the people captive to Assyria. Then Hoshea conspired against him and killed him and became king.
HOSHEA — Assyrian Captivity
Hoshea reigned nine years and did evil in the sight of the Lord. Shalmaneser, king of Assyria came against him and he became his vassal. But Hoshea tried to ally with the king of Egypt against Assyria, so the king of Assyria came and besieged Samaria for three years. He captured Samaria and carried the Israelites away to Samaria.
II K 17 makes it very clear and specific why the northern kingdom finally came to an end–they had continually walked in idolatry and did not follow the commands of God that they should worship only him. Instead they had worshipped idols, using divination, sorcery, etc., all of which was an abomination in the sight of God.
The king of Assyria then brought in people from other lands which they had captured to replace the Israelites he had removed. But they didn’t fear the Lord and He sent lions among them. So the king said they should send some priests who would teach the people the laws of the God of that land. So they feared the Lord and also worshipped their own gods. “so they do to this day” it says in II K 17:41.
ATHALIAH
Athaliah was the queen mother, daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, widow of Jehoram king of Judah, and mother of Ahaziah, the king of Judah who was killed by Jehu. When she saw that her son Ahaziah was dead, she killed the rest of the royal family to secure her position. Jehu killed all the ones that were in Israel, the princes of Judah who had come to visit Jehoram (Joram), king of Israel and/or his sons. So Athaliah killed the ones left in Judah. These may not have been her own sons; we have no information as to whether Jehoram had other wives and concubines, nor how many sons he had.
But Jehosheba (Jehoshabeath), a sister of Ahaziah, had married Jehoiada, a priest. She took Ahaziah’s infant son Joash and hid him away so he wouldn’t be killed. He remained hidden in the house of God six years while Athaliah reigned.
JOASH (JEHOASH)
In the seventh year Jehoiada arranged for Joash to be proclaimed king in the temple, and Athaliah was put to death. The people made a covenant with the Lord; they pulled down the altars of Baal; and they set Joash upon the throne. Joash was seven years old, and he reigned 40 years.
Joash had the temple repaired and served the Lord through the life of Jehoiada, who lived to be 130 years old. But when Jehoiada died, Joash left the ways of the Lord and had the son of Jehoiada, Zechariah, stoned for prophesying against him. Hazael, king of Syria, came against him and carried off much treasure. He was wounded in the battle, and his servants conspired to kill him because of the blood of the son of Jehoiada.
AMAZIAH
Amaziah was 25 when he began to reign and reigned 29 years. He did right in the sight of the Lord (in the beginning), and he put to death those who had killed his father, but he didn’t put to death their children. He put together an army to fight against Edom and hired 100,000 men from Israel. A prophet told him not to have the Israelites in his army, so he sent them home, but they were angry and killed 3000 people in cities of Judah and took spoil.
After he defeated the Edomites, he took gods of the Edomites and worshipped them. God sent a prophet who said, “Why have you resorted to the gods of a people, which did not deliver their own people from your hand?” But Amaziah was angry with the prophet. “Have we made you a royal counsellor?” he asked.
Amaziah fought against Israel and lost; the king of Israel took treasures and hostages back to Samaria. The people killed Amaziah and made his son king in his place.
AZARIAH (UZZIAH)
In the 27th year of Jereboam II of the northern kingdom, Uzziah (Azariah) was 16 when he began to reign and reigned 52 years in Jerusalem. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and “as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper.” (II Chr 26:5)
He made war against the Philistines with God’s help; he was successful and strong as a king. He even had skillful men who invented new machines for war and defense. But then he grew proud and entered the temple of God to offer incense, which was an act reserved for the priests. When he did this he became a leper.So he had to stay in a separate house, and Jotham his son administered the affairs of the kingdom.
Isaiah prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. In the famous 6th chapter of Isaiah we have the statement “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord high and lifted up…” So it would seem that he began to prophesy very near the end of Uzziah’s reign.
Hosea also prophesied during the years of those kings and during the years of Jeroboam II of Israel. He prophesied in the northern kingdom. Amos was another who prophesied in the northern kingdom during this time. Micah was another prophet during this time, and he prophesied to both kingdoms.
JOTHAM
Jotham began to reign in the second year of Pekah, the next to last king of the northern kingdom. Jotham was 25 at the time and reigned 16 years. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but the people still followed corrupt practices and sacrificed on the high places. He prevailed against the Ammonites.
AHAZ
Ahaz was 20 when he began to reign and reigned 16 years. He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel; he made altars to Baal, and even sacrificed his sons as an offering.
Syria and Israel came against him; Edom revolted. The men of Israel took 200,000 captives, but a prophet of the Lord, Oded, told them to send them back or the fierce wrath of God would be on them. They already had enough sins and guilt without that. So some of the leaders insisted on returning the captives.
Ahaz sent to Assyria for help, but Tiglath-pileser afflicted instead of helping him, for he took a lot of tribute. Ahaz sacrificed to the gods of Syria and made a copy of an altar he saw there, and he shut up the temple. In all this he provoked the anger of the Lord. So he died, and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.
Hezekiah began to reign during the time of the last king of the northern kingdom and was, therefore, king of Judah when Assyria took Israel captive.