Israel Series

February 25, 2023

The stories presented in the next 3 sermons are an overlapping history. They tell the story of the gradual decay of both nations until they experienced the full consequences of their rebellion against God. First up ---- ISRAEL.

Israel had 20 kings. 19 of them were unfaithful. Only 1, Jehu, was marginally faithful.

Our story begins during the reign of the 10th king of Israel, Joram, a son of Ahab. He became king, after his brother, Ahaziah died.

One of the instructions God had given to Elijah was to anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi, as king over Israel. For some reason he did not accomplish that task and it fell to Elisha to complete. Elisha instructed one of the Sons of the Prophets to go to Ramoth-gilead and anoint Jehu, then – “Open the door and run away!”

Upon completion of his task, the man did just that.

Jehu – Reigned 28 years (841-814 BC) = RIGHT and EVIL.

Part of the mandate given to Jehu was to completely destroy the house of Ahab. This was to fulfill the prophecy Elijah had spoken to Ahab in 1 Kings 21:20-29 (also see 1 Kings 16:29-33).

• Jehu killed king Joram in Israel with a bow and arrow.

• Then he went to Judah and killed king Jehoahaz (also called Ahaziah – Ahab’s grandson).

• Then he went to Jezreel to kill Jezebel.

• Then he killed the remaining 70 sons of Ahab – no one survived.

After all of that he destroyed Baal worship in Israel - 2 Kings 10:18-28:

• The priests of Baal were killed.

• The sacred stone of Baal was burned and destroyed.

• The temple of Baal was torn down and used as a communal toilet.

2 Kings 10:31 - …. Yet Jehu was not careful to keep the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit.

Jehu died and his son, Jehoahaz, became king.

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Jehoahaz – Reigned 17 years (814-798 BC) = EVIL. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam I.

Jehoahaz died and his son, Jehoash (Joash), became king.

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Jehoash – Reigned 16 years (798-782 BC) = EVIL. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam I.

Jehoash (Israel) and Amaziah (Judah) went to war. Judah lost. Jehoash captured Amaziah and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate (400 cubits = 600-733 feet). He took hostages as well as all the gold and silver from the Temple and from the king’s treasury back to Samaria.

Jehoash died and his son, Jeroboam II, became king

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Jeroboam II – Reigned 41 years (793-753 BC) = EVIL. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam I.

Jeroboam II died and his son, Zechariah, became king.

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Zechariah – Reigned 6 months (753-752 BC) = EVIL. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam I.

Shallum killed him.

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Shallum – Reigned 1 month (752 BC) = EVIL.

Menahem killed him.

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Menahem – Reigned 10 years (752-742) = EVIL. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam I.

• 2 Kings 15:19-20 - Then Pul (Tiglath-Pileser III) king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem gave him a thousand talents of silver to gain his support and strengthen his own hold on the kingdom. Menahem exacted this money from Israel. Every wealthy man had to contribute fifty shekels of silver to be given to the king of Assyria. So, the king of Assyria withdrew and stayed in the land no longer.

Menahem died and his son, Pekahiah, became king.

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Pekahiah – Reigned 2 years (742-740 BC) = EVIL. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam I.

Pekah killed him.

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Pekah – Reigned 20 years (752-732 BC) = EVIL. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam I.

Pekah counted his time on the throne as beginning in 752 BC. 2 theories for this have been presented:

• He may have been related to Jehu or Shallum, therefore ignoring the 2 previous rulers.

• He may have ruled over an insignificant part of the country and did not recognize Menahem and Pekahiah as legitimate rulers.

Whatever the truth, one thing is certain, he only enjoyed a solo reign of 8 years.

He discontinued the pro-Assyrian policy of his predecessors and made an alliance with Rezin II of Damascus. Then he, together with Rezin II, made war against Judah to force participation in his anti-Assyrian revolt. Judah asked for assistance from Tiglath-Pileser III and received it.

Assyria came to occupy the greater part of Galilee and Gilead (in Israel) and deported its inhabitants to the eastern part of the Assyrian empire. Then they turned on Syria and conquered Damascus and captured Rezin II.