Jeremiah Study – History on the Kings – Part 1 Lesson 4
2Kings 16 – 17 & 2Chronicles
Presented by Jaco van der Merwe
The Tabernacle of David Restored in Edom
Produced by Kimberly Rogers Brown – The Messianic Message
Downloads
Jeremiah Study Table-1 – History of the Kings.pdf
Jeremiah Study Table 2 – First Kings of Israel – ver2.0.pdf
Jeremiah Study Part-1 Lesson-4 – The History of the Kings of Israel.pdf
DISCLAIMER! WHEN WE SAY THE WORD “JEWS” or “THE JEWS”, WE MEAN THE RELIGIOUS JEWS, THE CHABAD CABAL AND OTHER JEWISH LEADERSHIP AND THOSE FROM THE HOUSE OF JUDAH WHO SUBSCRIBE TO CHABAD’S EVIL DOCTRINES. I DO NOT MEAN CULTURAL JEWS OR ALL JEWISH PEOPLE!
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Tuesday Midrash on Study: Study was edited for quality purpose
Jeremiah Study – History on the Kings – Part 1 Lesson 4
2Kings 16 – 17 & 2Chronicles
I want to quote some Scripture before we start:
Mat 23:8-10 MJKV But you must not be called Rabbi, for One is your teacher, Christ, and you are all brothers. And call no one your father on the earth, for One is your Father in Heaven. Nor be called teachers, for One is your Teacher, even Christ.
2Ti 3:13-17 MKJV But evil men and seducers will go forward to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But continue in the things that you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from a babe you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfected, thoroughly furnished to every good work.
Col 2:8-12 MKJV Beware lest anyone rob you through philosophy and vain deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And you are complete in Him, who is the Head of all principality and power, in whom also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in whom also you were raised through the faith of the working of God, raising Him from the dead.
Jeremiah Study – History on the Kings – Part 1 Lesson 4
2Kings 16 – 17 & 2Chronicles
I want to quote Isaiah 28:9-13 before we begin
Isa 28:9 MKJV Whom shall He teach knowledge? And whom shall He make to understand doctrine? Those weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts.
Isa 28:10 MKJV For precept must be on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, there a little;
Isa 28:11 MKJV for with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people.
Isa 28:12 MKJV To whom He said, This is the rest; cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing. Yet they were not willing to hear.
Isa 28:13 MKJV But the Word of Jehovah was to them precept on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken and snared and taken.
Lead in: So far in our study:
I was planning to discuss the fall of Ephraim in this study, but the Holy Spirit interjected that I bring the prophet Micah into this. So, when I did this teaching, it was way too long for a single 50-minute session… like almost double. Lessons 4 and 5 will be on the fall of the Northern tribes of Israel. During lesson 5 of this study, I will bring in the prophet Hosea.
Regarding the prophet Micah, it is understood that he was the prophet on whose prophecy King Hezekiah reacted to call Israel to repentance. Micah was already prophesying during the times of Kings Jotham and Ahaz of Judah.
The book of Hosea forms Yahweh’s midrash on why Israel, the whole house was to be destroyed. This is going to be a long teaching with a lot of reading of scripture. I will try my best to create a bigger picture of understanding about the destruction and I will break the teaching up into 2 parts, rather than trying to cram in down into one big study.
Last week we discussed the fall of Judah under the reign of King Ahaz turning to the gods of the Syrians and sacrificing his children in the valley of Hinnom, after the abominations of the nations whom Yahweh cast out before Israel.
I also explained that sins Solomon departed from Yahweh and was guilty of Idol worship, the Temples of the Idols and the High places of sacrifice was never removed from the lands of Israel, both Houses. I also gave a brief overview of the split of the kingdom of Israel into 2 parts with 2 kings, one king to each part. After Solomon, both houses had wicked kings, up until king Asa of Judah, who walked like King David, but he did not take away the high places of idol worship, so the people of Judah were still guilty of Idolatry.
But when Judah finally got a righteous king, the Idolatry of the house of Israel became worse and after General Omri, killed Zimri, who killed King Elah, Israel started to walk in the worship of Ba’al. Omri became king of Israel, and his son Ahab married Jezebel, a Sidonian priestess of Ba’al. The son of King Asa of Judah was King Jehoshaphat and he started to rule over Judah from the 4th year of King Ahab of Israel. For the most part of his life, King Jehoshaphat walked righteously with Yahweh, but in his old age He formed an alliance with the wicked King Ahab by having his son, King Jehoram marry Athaliah, the daughter of Jezebel, who was still a priestess of Ba’al. This caused Ba’al worship to spread to all the lands of Israel as a whole.
Ba’al worship is a religious practice by which anybody can burn incense and became a priest. Most of this religion goes against Yahweh’s Torah and can even go as far as child sacrifice. Ba’al worship is based on the worship of the queen of heaven and dates back from times before Nimrod and Asherah. Israel’s first encounter with Ba’al was with Balak and Balaam when Balak, representing the Moabites and Midianites, asked a diviner Balaam to curse the children of Israel. After Balaam failed to do so, we had the “Ba’al Peor” incident where the Israelites fornicated with the daughters of Moab and bowed down to their gods.
During the time of King Ahab, this same type of incident repeated itself and brought the curse of destruction and scattering of the people, as it was written in the Book of the Law in Deuteronomy Chapter 28. The purpose of the study on the History of the Kings is to try and create the “Bigger picture” of how this happened and Yahweh’s plan of redemption for His people Israel. Israel meaning the descendants of Jacob, all 12 tribes also known as “the remnant of Jacob” in scripture.
The first time that it is recorded in scripture that Judah came near the brink of destruction was during the time of King Amaziah. King Amaziah was the king we opened with in Lesson 1 of our study. Remember that he was the king that had to deal with the Edomite rebellion and that he asked King Jehoash of Israel, the son of King Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, to assist him. Jehu was the general of the Judah/Israelite army, who killed Jezebel and King Jeohram as well as his son Ahaziah, Kings of Judah. The result was that Queen Athaliah ruled over the house of Judah for 6 years, after which her son became king, and she was executed.
The easiest way to keep track of these chronologies is to use the Tables that I have set up. You will find this information in Table 2: the First Kings of Israel, on our websites themessianicmessage.com and tabernacleofdavidrestored.com
So, King Amaziah asked King Jehoash to assist him with the Edomite thread, but after he was warned by Yahweh, he refused Israel’s help. Then Amaziah went and worshipped the gods of the Edomites and Yahweh set him up far a war against King Jehoash and he lost, and Judah was plundered.
King Uzziah, the son of Amaziah received a broken kingdom. He walked with Yahweh and became a mighty King who restored the House of Judah, but He became so full of himself that he went into the House of Yahweh and tried to burn incense. The priests in the Temple tried to warn him, but he would not listen, so Yahweh structured him with Leprosy in the forehead and he had to separate himself from his people up until his death.
The next king of Judah was King Jotham who was a righteous king, but he also did not take away the High places of idol worship in the house of Judah. Ahaz, his son, became king and started to walk like King Ahab of Israel did, many years ago. This basically means that he went back to Ba’al worship.
Where King Uzziah managed to repent and stop the destruction on Judah, King Ahaz just continue to walk in the curses, so Yahweh raised up Syria and Ephraim to make war against him and the house of Judah. Yahweh made a promise to King David that there would be a descendant on the throne forever, so the prophet Isaiah came to King Ahaz and reassured him of this promise. But rather than trusting Yahweh, King Ahaz went to the Assyrians for assistance and paid them large amounts of Tribute and by this initiated Yahweh’s plan for the destruction of Israel all over again. As our story progress we will learn that by the time of Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, only a few cities of Judah will be left and not taken by Israel’s enemies.
Introduction to Lesson 4+5: The destruction of the House of Israel.
Let’s do a recap on the Kings of Israel in the Northern tribes of Ephraim. Jehu was raised up to end the wicked kings in Israel. Ahab and Jezebel’s daughter Athaliah married King Jehoshaphat’s son, Jeohram. Jezebel was manipulating king Ahab to do her bidding. Ahab was killed in battle against the Syrians. Ba’al worship was stretched over all Israel, both houses. Jehu made an end of Jezebel and killed both Ahaziah, Ahab’s son and the next king of Israel as well as Jeohram, who was the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah.
Jehu saw to it that any one of Ahab’s descendants that could lay claim to the throne in Israel, was killed. He also got rid of the Ba’al worship of the Northern tribes. This fulfilled a promise that Yahweh made to Ahab through a prophet and Jehu became king over Israel Ephraim. But sadly, King Jehu continued to walk in the sins of Jeroboam 1st and Yahweh made a promise to Jehu that he would have descendants on the throne of Israel until the 4th generation. The succession kings of Israel after Jehu were Jehoahaz, Jehoash, Jeroboam 2nd, and Zachariah.
In Lesson 1 of our study, we discussed King Jehoash of Israel. He was blessed by Yahweh to have a strong army to defend the borders of Israel against her enemies. The King in Judah was Amaziah. He was the king that adopted the Edomite religion and started to worship their gods after he defeated them in Seir, the valley of salt known as Petra today.
King Jehoash reigned for 16 years and walked evil in the sight of Yahweh for he walked in the sins of Jeroboam 1st. He made war against King Amaziah of Judah and defeated him in battle. He raided the Temple of Yahweh and the King’s House in Judah and broke down the Northern defense wall of Jerusalem.
Jeroboam 2nd ruled from the 15the year of King Amaziah and reigned for 41 years. He did that which was evil towards Yahweh, because he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam 1st. He was counseled by the prophet Jonah on how to defend the borders of Israel. The prophet Amos started to prophesy the destruction of all Israel because of the sins of Kings Jeroboam and Amaziah of Judah.
After the death of Jeroboam 2nd, his son Zachariah became king over Israel. He was the 4th generation from King Jehu, and walked in the sins of Jeroboam 1st. He was killed by Shallum, who took his place on the throne. This fulfilled what Yahweh told Jehu that he will have a descendant only to the 4th generation, because he chose to walk in the sins of Jeroboam 1st.
Shallum only reigned for one month, and was murdered by Menahem. He became king over Ephraim, and the Assyrians attacked the Northern Tribes. Menahem paid a hefty tribute to stay on the throne and it is safe to say that he became a vassal king of Assyria. He ruled for 10 years, after which his son, Pekahiah became king over Israel.
Pekahiah reigned for 2 years and then was murdered by Pekah. It was during the time of King Pekah, that Ahaz was king in Judah. Ahaz walked in the sins of King Omri and Ahab, which means that he worshipped Ba’al. Ahaz was one of the most wicked Kings ever in Israel-Judah. During these times, both houses had wicked kings and Yahweh raised up Syria with Ephraim, under king Pekah to attack the house of Judah.
King Pekah had plans to replace King Ahaz and put another ruler on the throne of the House of Judah, and He sent the prophet Isaiah to King Ahaz to comfort him. Yahweh made a promise to King David, that there will come a ruler from one of his descendants that will rule over all Israel. Yahweh intended to keep this promise for the sake of David, and chose to save king Ahaz through the hands of the Assyrians. Assyria attacked Syria and took Damascus and killed the Syrian king. Then Assyria attacked Ephraim and took the lands of Naphtali and was subdued by Assyria.
All the kings of Ephraim walked wickedly against Yahweh because they walked in the sins of Jeroboam 1st, son of Nebat. King Pekah reigned for a total of 20 years, and he again was murdered by Hosea, son of Elah. This brings us to the last King of the house of Ephraim.
Yahweh always tells His plans to the people through the prophets. He tells them when they are walking away from Him, when they start to walk against His Torah. Amos was prophesying during the times of Jeroboam 2nd in the Northern tribes and King Uzziah ruled in Judah. Amos was a prophet to Ephraim, but he called out the sins of both houses and warned of the destruction of all Israel if the people did not repent. The high places were still not removed, and people was guilty of Idolatry over all the lands of Israel.
Isaiah had more prophecies about the coming destruction when King Uzziah started to worship the Edomite gods, and he continued to prophesy during the times of Jotham, Ahaz and King Hezekiah in Judah. Prophets Micah and Hosea started to prophesy as well during these times.
2Kings – Chapter 17
Hoshea Reigns in Israel
1 In the twelfth year of Ahaz King of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years.
2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of YHVH, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.
3 Against him came up Shalmaneser King of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents.
4 And the King of Assyria found Hoshea in a conspiracy: for he had sent messengers to Sho King of Egypt, and brought no present to the King of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the King of Assyria arrested him, and bound him in prison.
5 Then the King of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.
The Fall of Ephraim
6 In the ninth year of Hoshea, the King of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the River Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
Ephraim, the Northern Tribes of Israel.
In the 12th year of Ahaz, Hosea became King of “Ephraim”. Why do I use the term “Ephraim” rather than “Israel”? It is because Ephraim is a more specific term for the Northern Tribes of Israel, and most of the time (not always) when the Bible uses the term “Israel” it means the “whole of Israel” – all 12 Tribes, not just the northern or southern tribes. The Ephraimite “House of Israel” northern tribes were referred to as “Israel” and the southern “House of Judah” tribes were also referred to as “Israel” by the prophets. This is a difficult concept for most to understand.
For the most part, those who recognize the 2-houses say the Biblical term “Israel” in the prophets most often refers to the northern tribes. This is not true. When the Bible speaks of Israel, and even House of Israel, it is referring most often to 12-Tribed Israel unless the context states it to be the Northern 10-Tribes. Thus, Hosea became King of Ephraim. We know this because Hosea is in the line of the northern Kings. That is the context of my calling Hosea king of “Ephraim”.
The concept of “Israel” and “House of Israel” referring only to the 10 Tribes in context works with all the prophets until we get to Ezekiel who then makes no distinction between the 2 concepts. The reason Ezekiel does not separate the House of Judah and the House of Israel is because he was in exile with the Jews. At that point, there was no distinction. All Israelites, all 12 Tribes, were “Israel” throughout the Book of Ezekiel.
Because Ezekiel refers to Israel as 12 Tribes rather than 10, we need to revisit all the other prophets to be sure we have the correct understanding. Doing this now shows us that Yahweh brought down the destruction of all Israel – first the Northern tribes and then Judah who was left. Neither Ezekiel nor the other prophets referred to the House of Judah as Israel by itself for the most part.
Consider the following: Jacob’s name was changed to Israel. Israel had 12 sons, and as a collective, they were called Israel. Why? Because their father was called Israel, and they were the descendants of Jacob. As time progressed and children were born to them, they became the nation of Israel, referring back to the 12 sons of Israel, who became 12 Tribes within Israel. It is pretty simple. The name “Israel” always refers to all Israel unless the prophet seeks to explain something specific to the split northern or southern Tribes.
Yahweh made a covenant, through Moses as a mediator, with the descendants of Israel, the offspring of Jacob’s 12 sons. When Saul was called by Samuel to become King, he was King over Israel, the descendants of Jacob, 12 Tribes. After many struggles, David took the place of King Saul, and became King over 12 Tribes Israel. When Yahweh punished Solomon and split the Kingdom between Rehoboam and Jeroboam, the House of Judah did not seize, i.e. conquer, Yahweh’s people who are called Israel. Rehoboam sought to conquer the split off northern Tribes, but Yahweh would not allow it (1 Kings 12:21-24). Yahweh did not break the covenant with Israel and Judah until they killed their King, Yeshua. The remnant of Jacob, 12 Tribes, were always present even after the Northern Tribes fell to Assyria. We will see this when we study King Hezekiah.
This is the reason why we are studying through the Kings of Israel. The prophets were addressing specific practices that Israel in the North, or Israel in the south called Judah, were guilty off. There was still only a single covenant and both these Houses were walking in it, and their walking in sin, would bring destruction to all of Israel, Yahweh’s people.
à Israel, Yahweh’s people, had 2 kings after the kingdom was taken from the house of David. Let’s go back and read what happened in 1Kings Chapter 11.
1Ki 11:31 MKJV And he said to Jeroboam, Take ten pieces for yourself. For so says Jehovah, the God of Israel, Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you,
1Ki 11:32 MKJV but he shall have one tribe for My servant David’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel,
1Ki 11:33 MKJV because they have forsaken Me, and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the goddess of the sons of Ammon, and have not walked in My ways, to do what is right in My eyes, and to keep My statutes and My judgments, as David his father did.
à The Kingdom was split into 2 factions and we then had 2 Kings on 2 different thrones in 2 different cities. One was a descendant of David, and the other one was not. Jeroboam 1st was rightfully king, chosen by Yahweh because of the sins of Solomon, but Rehoboam was also still King because he was a descendant of king David and was bound by the promise made to David by Yahweh.
Let’s go to 1Kings Chapter 12 and read verses 19 to 24.
1Ki 12:19 MKJV And Israel rebelled against the house of David to this day.
1Ki 12:20 MKJV And it happened when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come again, they sent and called him to the company, and made him king over all Israel. There was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.
1Ki 12:21 MKJV And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, and he gathered all the house of Judah with the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
1Ki 12:22 MKJV But the Word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
1Ki 12:23 MKJV Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying,
1Ki 12:24 MKJV So says Jehovah, You shall not go up, nor fight against your brothers the sons of Israel. Each man return to his house. For this thing is from Me. And they listened to the Word of Jehovah and turned to go back, according to the Word of Jehovah.
In our study we are now at King Ahab of Judah and King Hosea of Ephraim. I explained earlier about King Omri and his son Ahab who married Jezebel. Then I explained about their daughter Athaliah, who ended up reigning over the House of Judah. Both Houses were now guilty of Idolatry. Yes, we had some righteous kings, but they never took away the High places, and they allowed their subjects to partake in idolatry. Even when the Righteous Kings walked with Yahweh, we read that they did not walk like David did. King David did not allow for idolatry during his reigned over the 12 Tribes. All Israel was united and served Yahweh. During the times of civil war, David always trusted in Yahweh to deliver him. But since the high places were never taken away, Ahaz walked in this idolatry of the people and when he became king, He also did not serve Yahweh.
The tribe of Ephraim was dominant over the northern tribes, just as Judah was dominant over the southern tribes. There are more to this in a physical and spiritual understanding, but for the purpose of this study, we need to understand that Israel had 2 kings and the two parts was Ephraim (mostly called Israel) and Judah mostly included when the name Israel is mentioned, unless the context refers to the Northern tribes only. In other words, there was Judah-Israel, called Judah. Ephraim-Israel called Israel and then there was all Israel, Yahweh’s people, called Israel. There is a great confusion about this, and I believe Yahweh did this on purpose.
Let us not be deceived:
Yahweh’s people are named Israel. If you do a search on e-sword “God of Israel”, in all of Scripture, there are 200 verses where Yahweh says that He is the God of Israel. Israel is His people, all 12 tribes. In the book of revelation, we have the 12 Tribes mentioned on 2 occasions. The 144,000 and the 12 gates to the New Jerusalem. Judah never replaced Israel, and Ephraim never replaced Judah as Israel. We need to understand this concept during our study on the History of the kings to see through the delusion that Paul warned us of in 2Tessalonians Chapter 2.
Let’s go read about it in 2Thesalonians Chapter 2:
2Th 2:1 MKJV Now we beseech you, my brothers, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him,
2Th 2:2 MKJV that you should not be soon shaken in mind or troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word or letter, as through us, as if the Day of Christ is at hand.
2Th 2:3 MKJV Let not anyone deceive you by any means. For that Day shall not come unless there first comes a falling away, and the man of sin shall be revealed, the son of perdition,
2Th 2:4 MKJV who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, setting himself forth, that he is God.
2Th 2:9 MKJV whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10 MKJV and with all deceit of unrighteousness in those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, so that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 MKJV And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie,
2Th 2:12 MKJV so that all those who do not believe the truth, but delight in unrighteousness, might be condemned.
2Th 2:15 MKJV Therefore, my brothers, stand fast and hold the teachings which you have been taught, whether by word or by our letter.
Now, Let’s read from 2Timothey Chapter 3 to get a bit more from Paul’s wisdom:
2Ti 3:13 MKJV But evil men and seducers will go forward to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
2Ti 3:14 MKJV But continue in the things that you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them,
2Ti 3:15 MKJV and that from a babe you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
2Ti 3:16 MKJV All Scripture is God-breathed, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
2Ti 3:17 MKJV that the man of God may be perfected, thoroughly furnished to every good work.
In 2Ti 3:15, the Holy scriptures mentioned is the Tanak (The Tanak is the Old Testament as most of us know it). Paul knew the Tanak like the back of his hands. Everything he taught was based on the understanding of scripture and how it connects to each other. More than 50% of Pauls writings are direct or indirect quotes out of the Tanak. If we want to know what Paul meant, we need to know and understand the visions and writings of the prophets. And if we want to understand the prophets, we need to know the context of the why and when it was written (during which kings). Therefore we need to go through the Chronology of the Kings. I will not be able to explain the book of Jeremiah without an overview understanding of the Kings and the corresponding prophets.
Let us go to the prophet Micah and see what he prophesied. Micah prophesied during the time of King Ahaz of Judah and King Pekah of Israel. While we read through Micah, keep in mind that the people of both houses walked in idolatry and that the high places were never removed ever since it was raised up during the time of King Solomon.
Mic 1:1 MKJV The Word of Jehovah that came to Micah the Morasthite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
Mic 1:2 MKJV Hear, all you people; listen, O earth, and its fullness. And let the Lord Jehovah be witness against you, the Lord from His holy temple.
Mic 1:3 MKJV For behold, Jehovah is coming out of His place, and will come down and walk on the high places of the earth.
Mic 1:4 MKJV And the mountains shall melt under Him, and the valleys shall tear themselves, as wax before the fire, and as waters poured down a steep place.
Mic 1:5 MKJV All this is for the transgression of Jacob, and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what are the high places of Judah? Are they not Jerusalem?
This is the opening verses of the book of Micah. Here Yahweh is establishing the context of the prophet and to whom he prophesied. Both Samaria and Jerusalem are mentioned. These are the 2 capitals of Yahweh’s people, and it establishes the context that Micah is addressing both of the houses. “House of Israel” in the book of Micah, is all Israel, unless the context defines it differently.
Mic 1:6 MKJV And I will make Samaria into ruins of the field, planting places for a vineyard; and I will pour down her stones into the valley, and I will uncover her foundations.
Mic 1:7 MKJV And all her graven images shall be beaten to pieces, and all her gifts shall be burned with the fire, and I will destroy all its idols. For she gathered it from the reward of a harlot, and they shall return to the reward of a harlot.
Mic 1:8 MKJV Therefore I will wail and howl; I will go stripped and naked; I will make a wailing like jackals, mourn like the daughters of an ostrich.
Mic 1:9 MKJV For her wounds are not curable; for it has come to Judah; it has reached to the gate of My people, to Jerusalem.
Verse 9 explains that the sins of Israel reached the gate of his people in Jerusalem. This is in reference to what happened during the time of King Omri and Ahab, his son who married Jezebel and the worship of Ba’al. Then their daughter Athaliah, who married into Judah and then became Queen of Judah for 6 years. In Micah chapter 6:5 and 16 we read the connecting verse (keep in mind that that the whole book of Micah is one context):
Mic 6:5 MKJV My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab planned, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim to Gilgal, so that you may know the righteous acts of Jehovah.
Mic 6:16 MKJV For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and you walk in their counsels, so that I should make you a ruin and its people a hissing; therefore you shall bear the shame of My people.
The scripture does not tell us the statutes of Omri, but I can suggest 2 commandments that Omri and the house of Ahab broke.
Deuteronomy Chapter 7:1-6 and 18:9-14
Deu 7:1 MKJV When Jehovah your God shall bring you into the land where you go to possess it, and has cast out many nations before you, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you,
Deu 7:2 MKJV and Jehovah your God shall deliver them before you, you shall crush them, completely destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them.
Deu 7:3 MKJV Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to his son, nor shall you take his daughter to your son.
Deu 7:4 MKJV For they will turn away your son from following Me, so that they may serve other gods. So the anger of Jehovah will be kindled against you and will destroy you suddenly.
Deu 7:5 MKJV But you shall deal with them in this way: you shall destroy their altars and break down their images, and cut down their groves and burn their graven images with fire.
Deu 7:6 MKJV For you are a holy people to Jehovah your God. Jehovah your God has chosen you to be a special people to Himself above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
Deu 18:9 MKJV When you come to the land which Jehovah your God gives you, you shall not learn to do according to the abominations of those nations.
Deu 18:10 MKJV There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that uses divination, an observer of clouds, or a fortune-teller, or a witch,
Deu 18:11 MKJV or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or one who calls to the dead.
Deu 18:12 MKJV For all that do these things are an abomination to Jehovah. And because of these abominations Jehovah your God drives them out from before you.
Deu 18:13 MKJV You shall be perfect with Jehovah your God.
Deu 18:14 MKJV For these nations whom you shall possess listened to observers of clouds and to diviners. But as for you, Jehovah your God has not allowed you to do so.
Ahab was guilty of marrying a Sidonian Priestess, but Ahaz walked in the practices forbidden mentioned in Deuteronomy verse 10 and 11, including having his sons pass through the fire, as in child sacrifice.
Mic 1:9 MKJV For her wounds are not curable; for it has come to Judah; it has reached to the gate of My people, to Jerusalem.
Based on verse 9, it clearly look like it is Ephraim’s fault that sin came to the gate of Jerusalem. But knowing the story of King Ahaz of Judah, we know that the House of Judah is guilty as well. Destruction is on all Israel and not just on a selected house by itself.
Deu 7:4 MKJV For they will turn away your son from following Me, so that they may serve other gods. So the anger of Jehovah will be kindled against you and will destroy you suddenly.
The destruction on Israel did come suddenly. The only reason Ahaz made it through it is because of the promise of Yahweh to King David. In time, both Houses met destruction – All of Israel.
I want to end this study with Micah 5, but first, let’s recap on what Isaiah told Ahaz in Isaiah chapter 7 and see if we can make a connection to the prophet Micah.
Isa 7:10 MKJV And Jehovah spoke again to Ahaz, saying,
Isa 7:11 MKJV Ask a sign of Jehovah your God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.
Isa 7:12 MKJV But Ahaz said, I will not ask, nor will I tempt Jehovah.
Isa 7:13 MKJV And He said, Hear now, O house of David; is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also?
Isa 7:14 MKJV So, the Lord Himself shall give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel.
Isa 7:15 MKJV Butter and honey he shall eat until he knows to refuse the evil and choose the good.
Isa 7:16 MKJV For before the child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you loathe shall be forsaken before both its kings.
Isa 7:17 MKJV Jehovah shall bring on you, and on your people, and on your father’s house, days that have not come, since the days that Ephraim departed from Judah, the king of Assyria.
Verse 17 make’s reference of the King of Assyria. Remember that the King of Assyria attacked Israel during the time of King Menahem and made Israel a vassal state to Assyria already. This was in the days of King Uzziah of Judah. But I want to bring the focus on verse 14: “So, the Lord Himself shall give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel.” Let’s go to Micah Chapter 5 were the prophet is giving is more insight about this.
Mic 5:1 MKJV Now gather yourself in troops, daughter of a troop; one sets a siege against us; they shall strike the Judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.
Mic 5:2 MKJV And you, Bethlehem Ephratah, you being least among the thousands of Judah, out of you He shall come forth to Me, to become Ruler in Israel, He whose goings forth have been from of old, from the days of eternity.
Mic 5:3 MKJV Therefore He will give them over until the time the one giving birth has given birth; then the rest of His brothers shall return to the sons of Israel.
Mic 5:4 MKJV And He shall stand and feed in the strength of Jehovah, in the majesty of the name of Jehovah His God. And they shall sit, for now He shall be great to the ends of the earth.
Mic 5:5 MKJV And this One shall be peace. When Assyria shall come into our land; and when he shall walk in our palaces, then we shall raise against him seven shepherds and eight anointed ones from men.
Mic 5:6 MKJV And they shall mar the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod at her own entrances. And He shall deliver us from Assyria when he comes into our land, and when he treads within our border.
Don’t you think that it is interesting that in verse 6, Assyria is mentioned in Micah as well? We just read about Isaiah telling King Ahaz about the King of Assyria taking Ephraim. In verse 3 we read about “the one giving birth has given birth”. Is it possible that both Micah and Isaiah received the same prophecy from Yahweh and that each prophet gave us his version of the vision?
I want to try and give three different interpretations of the word “Israel: from the next verses of Micah.
This passage will be speaking about Yahweh’s people, Israel, “the remnant of Jacob” being scattered to the 4 corners of the earth and about the times of the great Tribulation, and the regathering of the people to Israel. I shared with you last week that during the time of Ahaz, that Syria and Ephraim attacked Ahaz and took 200k people into captivity and they ended up in Jericho. Then Yahweh had Assyria attack and take over the lands of Naphtali. Assyria also took captives and deported Israelites. After this, the Philistines and Edomites attacked the boarders of Judah and took captives. This was during the time that king Ahaz went to the Assyrians to help him against his enemies and then he worshipped their gods and brought plans for the Altar from Damascus back to Jerusalem.
Mic 5:7 MKJV And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples, as dew from Jehovah, as showers on a blade of the grass, which does not wait for man, nor delay for the sons of men.
Mic 5:8 MKJV And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he goes through, both tramples and tears in pieces. And there is none to snatch back.
Mic 5:9 MKJV Your hand shall be high above your foes, and all your enemies shall be cut off.
Mic 5:10 MKJV And it shall be in that day, says Jehovah, I will cut off your horses out of your midst, and I will destroy your chariots.
Mic 5:11 MKJV And I will cut off the cities of your land, and throw down all your strongholds.
Mic 5:12 MKJV And I will cut off sorceries out of your hand, and there shall not be fortune-tellers among you.
Mic 5:13 MKJV I will also cut off your graven images, and your pillars out of the midst of you; and you shall never again worship the work of your hands.
Mic 5:14 MKJV And I will pluck your shrines out of the midst of you; so I will destroy your cities.
Mic 5:15 MKJV And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury on the nations, such as they have not heard.
If you want to read that “Israel” here is only the northern tribes of Ephraim, then the coming “King” will only save Ephraim, and then he will save Judah from Assyria after which He will destroy Judah (reading from verse 9-15). This sounds a lot like the Rapture teaching where the “Church” gets raptured and Judah get destroyed by the Tribulation.
Or, If you do the replacement of Israel with Judah, then you get that the coming “King” will save Judah from Assyria and regather the brothers of the house of Judah and then destroy them, look at verse 14. This sounds a lot like Judaism. Based on this, the King-Messiah dies in the Gog and Magog war and depending on which Rabbi you follow, will be resurrected or replaced by his son, Yeshua-Ben David who will rule and reign from Jerusalem after the war is won.
Or the bigger picture is that the “King” will be born in Bethlehem and will gather the remnant of Jacob scattered in the Nations (12 Tribes) and then he will destroy the cities of Judah because of all the idolatry in it. Then He will bring the Remnant back to be joined to their brothers. Hmmm… this is starting to look a lot more like to book of Revelation.
Lead Out
Keep in mind that my paradigm on Micah is formed with the consideration of the prophet Hosea and Jeremiah. I am only using this as an example, one of many in the prophets. We need to consider all scripture when we study the Bible. The biggest challenge we have is to make the paradigm shift to determine when the Bible speaks of all Israel or only the 10 Tribes. We need to know when it speaks about the House of Judah, especially when we come to the prophet Jeremiah. Then only will it be possible to follow the visions in the prophets regarding the salvation and redemption of Israel, the people of Yahweh. I believe that when we do this, then the book of Revelation will reveal to us the full picture of the different pieces given to us by the prophets.
Then the Question: Why is all this knowledge important? Let’s see what Yeshua said in Mathew chapter 24:
Mat 24:15 MKJV Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand).
Mat 24:16 MKJV Then let those in Judea flee into the mountains.
Mat 24:17 MKJV Let him on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house;
Mat 24:18 MKJV nor let him in the field turn back to take his clothes.
Mat 24:19 MKJV And woe to those who are with child, and to those who give suck in those days!
Mat 24:20 MKJV But pray that your flight is not in the winter, nor on the sabbath day;
Mat 24:21 MKJV for then shall be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world to this time; no, nor ever shall be.
Mat 24:22 MKJV And unless those days should be shortened, no flesh would be saved. But for the elect’s sake, those days shall be shortened.
Mat 24:23 MKJV Then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ! Or, There! Do not believe it.
Mat 24:24 MKJV For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders; so much so that, if it were possible, they would deceive even the elect.
Mat 24:25 MKJV Behold, I have told you beforehand.
Mat 24:26 MKJV Therefore if they shall say to you, Behold, He is in the desert! Do not go out. Behold, He is in the secret rooms! Do not believe it.
Mat 24:27 MKJV For as the lightning comes out of the east and shines even to the west, so also will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Mat 24:28 MKJV For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered.
Told us “what” before hand? How he will save His people Israel. The prophets together with the book of Revelation, give us a picture of how Yahweh will save His people. The first visions we have starts in Amos when the destruction of Israel is announced. Then Micah adds to what Amos said. We are all familiar with Isaiah Chapters 52 to 56. Anything different of what is revealed by all the prophets and the book of Revelation, is the deception Paul is referencing to us in 2Tessalonians Chapter 2.
2Th 2:1 MKJV Now we beseech you, my brothers, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him,
2Th 2:2 MKJV that you should not be soon shaken in mind or troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word or letter, as through us, as if the Day of Christ is at hand.
2Th 2:3 MKJV Let not anyone deceive you by any means. For that Day shall not come unless there first comes a falling away, and the man of sin shall be revealed, the son of perdition,
½ the People that started this walk of Bible discovery with me, who grew up in a Christian Church and many of them of whom you could clearly see a relationship with Yeshua, denied Him and walked into Judaism. Do not be deceived because you do not have all the pieces. I am going to end with reading Isaiah 28:12-13 again:
Isa 28:12 MKJV To whom He said, This is the rest; cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing. Yet they were not willing to hear.
Isa 28:13 MKJV But the Word of Jehovah was to them precept on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken and snared and taken.
Next week we will carry on with King Hosea and the destruction of the Northern House of Ephraim.
Join us next week as we continue in our study into the chronology of the kings of Israel.
Thank you and God bless. Shalom.
