Jeremiah Study – History on the Kings – Part 1 Lesson 5

Jeremiah Study – History on the Kings – Part 1 Lesson 5: 2Kings 17 and 2 Chronicles 28

Presented by Jaco van der Merwe
The Tabernacle of David Restored in Edom
Produced by Kimberly Rogers Brown – The Messianic Message

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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-5 – 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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Jeremiah Study – History on the Kings – Part 1 Lesson 5: 2Kings 17 and 2 Chronicles 28

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 5: 2Kings 17 and 2 Chronicles 28

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.

Last week I discussed the principle of the 2 Houses and that we have Judah-Israel called Judah, Ephraim-Israel called Israel, and then all Yahweh’s people also called Israel. Ever since Yahweh took 10 of the 12 tribes and gave them to Jeroboam, the Kingdom of Israel was split into 2 factions or Houses. So up until now, we had 2 Kings in Israel as a nation.

In Lesson 5 we will start with a summation of what happened in our chronology so far then we will discuss King Hosea, the last king of Ephraim. This will be the last time that I will go through the complete summation of the 2 houses and their kings, so see if you can follow. You can make use of the 2 tables I created. They are at the top of the teaching on our website, ready for download in pdf form.

King Hosea will be the last king of Ephraim and his story dovetails with King Ahaz and then King Hezekiah of Judah, so I will be discussing some connecting points between the two Houses during the last few Lessons of Part 1 of our study.

Lead in

Solomon became King of all Israel after the death of King David. To expand his kingdom, he married many women from different nations, including the nations of which the Torah forbids, and in his old age his wives caused his heart to turn away from worshiping Yahweh and then all Israel fell into idolatry. They went as far as to worship Ba’al and Asherah. Yahweh raised up the enemies of Israel and they became strong and started to harass the Israelite people, so King Solomon had to build up fortifications and strengthen his armies. King Solomon raised the taxes, and the scripture suggests that Solomon made the people work like slaves to build these defensive fortifications. Because King Solomon and Israel fell to Idolatry, Yahweh declared that the Kingdom of Israel would be split into two pieces. 10 Tribes was to go to Jeroboam, a servant of King Solomon and then 2 Tribes will remain and follow the Throne of David.

Solomon’s son, Rehoboam became king after him. The people of Israel asked King Rehoboam to lighten the taxes and burdens upon them, but he refused and said that he will push them even harder. The People rebelled and they made Jeroboam King over them. Only the Tribe of Judah followed King Rehoboam at first, but King Jeroboam of Ephraim did not want his people to go down to Jerusalem for the feasts of Yahweh, so he set up his own priesthood and build 2 golden calves. He set up image worship to Yahweh. He also set up a new feast for the people on the 8^th month. The Levites among the Northern tribes rejected this and lefts their homes to join with the Tribe of Judah, so Jeroboam chose people that was not of Levy to fill priestly positions. He also set up laws to prevent his people to go down to Jerusalem.

Rehoboam’s son Abijam became King after him. King Abijam walked in the sins of his father, but Yahweh used him to make war against king Jeroboam and he prevailed. He only ruled for 3 years then his son, Asa became king in Judah. King Asa was the 1^st righteous king after King David, but he did not take away the high places of idol worship in Judea. He ruled for 41 years and for the most part, the Kingdom of Judah was at peace. During his reign in Judah, Israel in the north was split into 2 and went through a couple of civil wars. This happened because King Jeroboam walked away from Yahweh and created his own priesthood and worshipped Yahweh the way he wanted and not how Yahweh told him in the Torah.

Nadab, Jeroboam’s son became King in Israel and ruled for 2 years. He was killed by Baasha who took his throne. King Baasha ruled for 24 years and build walls between the borders of Judea and Israel to prevent the people from going to Jerusalem. Baasha’s son, Elah became king after him, but after 2 years, he was killed by his military commander Zimri, who took his place on the throne. When Zimri realised that he could not prevail against Omri he burned down the King’s House with himself in it.

Omri’s son Ahab married Jezebel, a Sidonian priestess of Ba’al who manipulated him. Ba’al and Asherah was worshiped all over the northern tribes. This was the times in which Elijah was prophesying in Israel. Jehoshaphat was king in Judah and was a righteous king for the most part of his life. King Jehoshaphat never took away the high places of idol worship and later made an alliance with the evil King Ahab from Ephraim by having his son, Jeohram marry Athalia, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel.

Yahweh killed Jeohram, son of Jehoshaphat with a bowel disease, and Ahaziah, the son of Jeohram became king. Athaliah, his mother manipulated him to worship and promote Ba’al even more in Judah.

Jehu was the military commander of the joined alliance forces between Israel and Judah. Yahweh sent a prophet and declared that if Jehu brings an end to Ahab and his descendants, he would be the next king. Ahab was killed by an arrow during the war with Syria. Ahaziah, Ahab’s son was killed by Yahweh when he tried to kill Elijah and then Jeohram, the son of Ahaziah became king over Israel.

Jehu attacked king Jeohram, son of Ahab and also killed Ahaziah, king of Judah. This was the time that the prophet Elisha took over from Elijah. Then Jehu went after Jezebel and brought an end to her as well. After all Ahab’s descendants was killed, Yahweh made Jehu king, but he chose to walk in the sins of Jeroboam 1^st, so Yahweh told Jehu that he will only have a descendant on the throne till the 4^th generation.

In Judah, when Athaliah found out about the death of her son, she brought an end to everyone that could challenge her on the throne, but her grandson Joash was hidden by his aunt and kept safe in the Temple of Yahweh by a priest named Jehoiada.

When Joash was 7 years old he was crowned as king and the priest Jehoiada had Athaliah killed. As King Joash grew up, he walked with Yahweh and he got rid of Ba’al worship within Judah, but he never removed the high places of idol worship. When the priest Jehoiada died, King Joash was convinced by the elders of Judah and fell into idolatry. Zechariah, the son of the priest Jehoiada confronted king Joash, but the king had him killed. Because of this, the people who followed Zechariah conspired against king Joash of Judah and killed him.

After the death of King Jehu, his son Jehoahaz became king in Israel. He ruled for 17 years and was killed in a war against the Syrians. His son Jehoash became king in Israel. King Jehoash walked in the sins of Jeroboam 1^st and the Syrians was a constant threat against Israel. Yahweh sent the prophet Elisha to king Jehoash and blessed him with a mighty army so that he could keep the Syrians at bay. The prophet Elisha died during the reign of King Jehoash.

In Judah, King Amaziah started to rule from the 2^nd year of king Jehoash of Israel. He walked right with Yahweh, but not like king David did. He also did not take away the high places in Judah, just as the kings before him. After king Amaziah defeated the Edomites, he chose to worship their gods and Yahweh raised king Jehoash up to make war against Judah and Judah was defeated. He lived 15 years after the death of king Jehoash, and was assassinated by his people. Uzziah (also called Azariah) his son became king.

King Uzziah of Judah walked righteous for most his life and Yahweh blessed him greatly. He wanted to burn incense to Yahweh in the Temple and refuse to listen to the warning of the priests and Yahweh struck him with leprosy in the forehead. He was forced to separate himself from his people and his son Jotham judged Judah until his death. King Uzziah never removed the high places within Judah.

Jeroboam 2^nd ruled from the 15^th year of King Amaziah of Judah and reigned for 41 years. He walked in the sins of Jeroboam 1^st, but Yahweh had pity on the people of Israel and sent Jonah to give council to king Jeroboam on the defence of Israel’s boarders against the Syrians.

In the 38^th Year of King Uzziah, Zachariah, the son of Jeroboam 2^nd became king, but he was killed in a civil war by Shallum, who took his place as king. Then Shallum was killed after 1 month and Menahem became king of Israel. King Menahem did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam 1^st, so Yahweh raised the Assyrians to attack Israel. King Menahem agreed to pay tribute and became a vassal kingdom of Assyria. After 10 years, Pekahiah became king of Israel after the death of Menahem, his father.

2 years after Pekahiah became king, Pekah, the son of Remaliah killed King Pekahiah and became king in Israel. He started to reign during the last year that king Uzziah was still alive. So Jotham became king in Judah after the death of his father King Uzziah. Jotham ruled for 16 years and walked right with Yahweh, but the high places in Judah was never removed.

In the 17^th year that Pekah killed Pekahiah to become king of Israel, Ahaz became king in Judah. These were the times that the prophets Isaiah, Amos and Hosea prophesied in the lands of Israel and Judah. Ahaz was a wicked king, and different than his fathers before him, he did not walk with Yahweh but walk in the ways of King Omri and Ahab of Israel. This mean that he started to worship Ba’al and Asherah.

Yahweh raised up Syria with Ephraim, under king Pakeh and they attacked Judah. King Pekah wanted to replace Ahaz, who was from the line of David, and this was considered to be wicked by Yahweh because of the promise that Yahweh made to David. In other words, because of this promise, Yahweh had mercy on Ahaz, and He sent Isaiah to reassure the king and told him that he will not be removed from his throne and that the Assyrians will defeat both Syria and Israel in the north. The Syrian/Israel alliance attacked Jerusalem and killed 120K Soldiers in one day. They also took 200K captives, but Yahweh sent a prophet to have the captives released and they ended up and stayed in Jericho.

King Ahaz refused to trust in Yahweh, and he went to pledge his allegiance to Assyria and paid them a huge gift of silver and gold. So, Assyria attacked Syria and took Damascus as well as killed the king of Syria. Then they started to attack Israel in the North and took the land of Naphtali. Many of the cities of Israel fell, and the king of Assyria started to exile people back to the land of Assyria. King Pekah surrendered and paid tribute to Assyria, just like the kings before him.

King Ahaz met with the king of Assyria in Damascus and saw an Altar there. He made a blueprint of this altar and sent it to Jerusalem to Urijah the priest to replace the altar of Yahweh. When Ahaz got back from Damascus, this altar was finished and he started to worship the gods of the Syrians on this altar. He also ordered the daily sacrifices of Yahweh to be done on this altar. To make matters worse, Ahaz burned his children and became guilty of child sacrifice. So, Yahweh raised up the Edomites and the Philistines and they started to attack the southern cities of Judah. 2Kings 17:18 records that Judah was the only tribe left.

With Judah at the brink of destruction, we can now continue with our story with the reading of king Hosea in 2 Kings Chapter 17.

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.

Now, the Bible is going to give us an overview of what happened in all Israel, both Judah and Ephraim, and from the time that the kingdom of Israel was split into 2 up until Ephraim was taken into captivity. Why do I say that this is for all Israel and not just the Northern tribes of Israel, better known as Ephraim? Because all Israel, through the sins of Kings Omri, Ahab and Ahaz, worshipped Asherah and Ba’al, and as we will read in our text, this is the reason why Yahweh sent his prophets, starting with Amos and followed by Isaiah, who prophesied the destruction of all Israel, 12 Tribes.

2Kings – Chapter 17
Exile Because of Idolatry
7 For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against YHVH their Elohim, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh King of Egypt, and had feared other elohim,
8 And walked in the ordinances of the heathen, whom YHVH cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.
9 And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against YHVH their Elohim, and they built themselves temples of idols in all their cities, from the watchtower to the walled city.
10 And they set up images and Asherahs in every high hill, and under every green tree:
11 And there they burned incense in all the temples of idols, as did the heathen whom YHVH carried away before them; and worked wicked things to provoke YHVH to anger:
12 For they served idols, of which YHVH had said to them, You shall not do this thing.
13 Yet YHVH testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Make repentance from your evil ways, and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the Torah which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by My servants the prophets.
14 But they would not listen, but hardened their necks, like the necks of their fathers, that did not believe in YHVH their Elohim.
15 And they rejected His statutes, and His covenant that He made with their fathers, and His testimonies which He testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were all around them, concerning whom YHVH had ordered them, that they should not do like them.
16 And they left all the commandments of YHVH their Elohim, and made molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah, and worshipped all the hosts of the heaven, and served Ba’al.
17 And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of YHVH, to provoke Him to anger.
18 Therefore YHVH was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of His sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.
19 Also Judah did not guard the commandments of YHVH their Elohim, but had their ways in the Statutes of Israel that they made.
20 And YHVH rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until He had cast them out of His sight.
21 For He tore Israel away from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat King: and Jeroboam drove Israel away from following YHVH, and made them sin a great sin.
22 For the children of Israel had their halacha in all the sins of Jeroboam that he did; they departed not from them;
23 Until YHVH removed Israel out of His sight, as He had said by all His servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away out of their own land to Assyria until this day.

Exile Because of Idolatry

Israel, for the most part of our reading, includes all 12 Tribes, but verse 22 and 23, it references to the 10 Tribes originally given to Jeroboam 1^st.

We had a long progression of time and before the Assyrian invasion, the House of Judah consisted out of 4 Tribes. Judah, Simeon, the Levites and Benjamin. The Levites joined the house of Judah, shortly after Jeroboam set up the golden calves, way back in the beginning. Benjamin joined the house of Judah during the wars between King Amaziah and Jehoash. By this time the house of king Saul was long time gone and their loyalty went to the king of Judah, the descendant from the throne of David.

Let’s go to Hosea chapters 4 to 6 regarding the unrepentance of the Israelites. In these chapters we will get the context and understanding that when the name “Israel” is used, it normally refers to all God’s people not just the Northern tribes, Judah included. These chapters also conclude the fall of all Israel, and the mercy on the house of David, Judah, as Yahweh promised. Let’s have a quick look at Hosea Chapter 4 verses 15-17 before we read the whole chapter:

Hos 4:15 MKJV Though you, Israel, fornicate, yet do not let Judah become guilty. And do not come to Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-aven, nor swear, As Jehovah lives.
Hos 4:16 MKJV For Israel slides back like a backsliding heifer. Now Jehovah will feed them as a lamb in a large place.
Hos 4:17 MKJV Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone.

So, in context of Yahweh having mercy on Judah and the Tribe of Judah that will be the only tribe left after the Assyrian invasion, we can look at these verses like this:

Though you Israel (all 12 tribes) fornicate, do not let Judah (the tribe of Judah) become guilty.
For Israel (all 12 Tribes), Ephraim slides back (10 of the 12 Tribes).

So, what about Simeon. Simeon’s allegiance was with Judah, but they also were guilty of Idolatry like the rest of Israel. And since only the tribe of Judah was left (2Kings 17:18), Simeon would be included with Ephraim who are guilty of sliding back. They were taken by the Philistines and the Edomites who attacked the southern boarders of Judea.

Let’s read Hosea Chapter 4 and 5 for context.

The Lord Accuses Israel
Hos 4:1 MKJV Hear the Word of Jehovah, sons of Israel. For Jehovah has a quarrel with the people of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
Hos 4:2 MKJV There is lying, and swearing, and killing, and stealing, and the committing of adultery; and blood touches blood.
Hos 4:3 MKJV Therefore the land shall mourn, and everyone who dwells in it shall droop, with the beasts of the field and with the birds of the heavens. Yes, the fish of the sea shall also be taken away.
Hos 4:4 MKJV Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another. For your people are as those who strive with the priest.
Hos 4:5 MKJV And you shall stumble in the day, and the prophet also shall stumble with you in the night, and I will cut off your mother.
Hos 4:6 MKJV My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from being priest to Me. Since you have forgotten the Law of your God, I will also forget your sons, even I.
Hos 4:7 MKJV As they were increased, so they sinned against Me. I will change their glory into shame.
Hos 4:8 MKJV They eat up the sin of My people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.
Hos 4:9 MKJV And it has become, Like people, like priest; and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them for their doings.
Hos 4:10 MKJV For they shall eat and not have enough. They shall fornicate and not increase, because they have stopped taking heed to Jehovah.
Hos 4:11 MKJV Fornication and wine and new wine take away the heart.
Hos 4:12 MKJV My people seek advice from their wooden idols, and their rod declares to them. For the spirit of harlotry has caused them to go astray, and they have gone lusting away from under their God.
Hos 4:13 MKJV They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains, and burn incense on the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because its shade is good. So your daughters shall be harlots, and your brides shall commit adultery.
Hos 4:14 MKJV I will not punish your daughters when they fornicate, nor your wives when they commit adultery. For the men themselves go aside with harlots, and they sacrifice with temple prostitutes. The people who do not understand are thrown down.
Hos 4:15 MKJV Though you, Israel, fornicate, yet do not let Judah become guilty. And do not come to Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-aven, nor swear, As Jehovah lives.
Hos 4:16 MKJV For Israel slides back like a backsliding heifer. Now Jehovah will feed them as a lamb in a large place.
Hos 4:17 MKJV Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone.
Hos 4:18 MKJV Their drink is sour; they are continually fornicating; her rulers dearly love shame.
Hos 4:19 MKJV The wind has bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.

Reading from verse 1 of chapter 4, it is uncertain if Israel here is all Israel, 12 Tribes, or only Ephraim. It is very important that we find this context, because in verse 6 we read that Yahweh reject them from being priests to Him. We get the context verse in verse 15, and it shows us that Israel in this context is to the Northern tribes only. To help support this, we know that Yahweh made a covenant with the Levitical priesthood that they will be from the line of Aaron forever. So, the priest here is in reference to the priests of the golden calf worship system that Jeroboam 1^st set up in the land of Ephraim. Yahweh rejected them.  

Exo 29:9 MKJV  And you shall gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and bind turbans on them. And the priest’s office shall be theirs for an everlasting statute. And you shall consecrate Aaron and his sons.

Punishment Coming for Israel and Judah
Hos 5:1 MKJV Hear this, O priests, and listen, house of Israel. And give ear, house of the King. For judgment is toward you, because you have been a snare on Mizpah and a net spread on Tabor.
Hos 5:2 MKJV And revolters have gone deep in slaughtering, and I chasten all of them.
Hos 5:3 MKJV I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from me. For now, O Ephraim, you have fornicated; Israel is defiled.
Hos 5:4 MKJV Their doings will not allow them to turn to their God; for the spirit of fornication is in their midst, and they have not known Jehovah.
Hos 5:5 MKJV And the pride of Israel testifies to his face. So Israel and Ephraim shall fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them.
Hos 5:6 MKJV They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek Jehovah; but they shall not find Him. He has withdrawn Himself from them.
Hos 5:7 MKJV They have acted treacherously against Jehovah, for they have brought out strange sons. Now a new moon shall devour them with their portions.
Hos 5:8 MKJV Blow the horn in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah; cry aloud at Beth-aven, after you, O Benjamin.
Hos 5:9 MKJV Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke. Among the tribes of Israel I have made known that which is confirmed.
Hos 5:10 MKJV The rulers of Judah were like movers of a border; I will pour out My wrath on them like water.
Hos 5:11 MKJV Ephraim is crushed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment.
Hos 5:12 MKJV Therefore I am as a moth to Ephraim, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.
Hos 5:13 MKJV When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then Ephraim went to the Assyrian and sent to King Jareb. Yet he could not heal you nor cure you of your wound.
Hos 5:14 MKJV For I will be to Ephraim as a lion, and as a strong lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear and go away. I will take away, and none shall rescue him.
Hos 5:15 MKJV I will go; I will return to My place until they confess their guilt and seek My face; in their affliction they will seek Me diligently.

Israel again in context is to all 12 Tribes. You can also make the claim that Israel here is in reference to the land of all Israel, Judah and Ephraim. But the land is connected to the people so when the bible speaks of cities and land, it connects directly to the people. Verse 3 to 5 creates the concept of Israel-Ephraim and Israel-Judah. It is this type of language used in the book of Hosea that tell us that Israel is mostly 12 Tribe Israel, depending on the context.

When Ahaz, King of Judah let his children pass through the fire and made himself and the house of Judah guilty of Idolatry, Yahweh intended to destroy all Israel. The house of Judah received mercy and was the only tribe left after the Assyrians captured the Northern Tribes. The southern tribes were attacked, raided and conquered by the Philistines and the Edomites.

2Kings 17:18-23 Therefore YHVH was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of His sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only. Also Judah did not guard the commandments of YHVH their Elohim, but had their ways in the Statutes of Israel that they made. And YHVH rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until He had cast them out of His sight. For He tore Israel away from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat King: and Jeroboam drove Israel away from following YHVH, and made them sin a great sin. For the children of Israel had their halacha in all the sins of Jeroboam that he did; they departed not from them; Until YHVH removed Israel out of His sight, as He had said by all His servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away out of their own land to Assyria until this day.

In Hosea 5:5 we read that Judah will fall with Ephraim. Here we make a distinction between the Tribe of Judah and the House of Judah. Also, the tribe of Judah was left, but Yahweh is not in the timing of man. Later we will read about King Hezekiah’s repentance and reformation. The destruction of the House of Ephraim happened now. The destruction of Judah will come, but much later in the chronology of our story.

Let’s carry on reading in 2Kings from verse 24:

2Kings – Chapter 17
Assyria Resettles Samaria
24 And the King of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sefarvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.
25 And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not YHVH: therefore YHVH sent lions among them, that killed some of them.
26 Therefore they spoke to the King of Assyria, saying, The nations whom you have removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the Elohim of the land: therefore he has sent lions among them, and, see, they are being killed, because they know not the manner of the Elohim of the land.
27 Then the King of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry there one of the priests whom you brought from there; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the Elohim of the land.
28 Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Beth-El, and taught them how they should fear YHVH.
29 Yet every nation made elohim of their own, and put them in the houses of the idol temples that the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities in which they dwelt.
30 And the men of Babylon made Sukkot-Benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,
31 And the Avites made Nivhaz and Tartak, and the Sefarvites burned their children in fire to Adram-Melech and Anam-Melech, the elohim of Sefarvaim.
32 So they feared YHVH, but also made for themselves from the lowest of them priests for the idol temples, who sacrificed for them in the houses of the idol temples.
33 They feared YHVH, but they also served their own elohim, after the manner of the nations who had carried them away.
34 To this day they do after their former customs and behaviors: they fear not YHVH, neither do they follow His statutes, or ordinances, or Torah, or commandments that YHVH commanded the children of Yaakov, whom He named Israel;
35 With whom YHVH had made a covenant, and charged them saying, You shall not fear other elohim, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them:
36 But YHVH, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched Arm, Him shall you fear, and Him shall you worship, and to Him shall you do sacrifice.
37 And the statutes, and the judgments, and the Torah, and the commandments, which He wrote for you, you shall observe to do forever; and you shall not fear other elohim.
38 And the covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget; neither shall you fear other elohim.
39 But YHVH your Elohim you shall fear; and He shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.
40 But they did not listen, but they did after their former customs and behaviors.
41 So these nations feared YHVH, and also served their graven images, both their children, and their children’s children: as did their fathers, so do they to this day.

 Assyria Resettles Samaria

There is two ways that a kingdom takeover can happen. Force the King into submittance and have him became a vassal King. Or remove the ruling class from their kingdom and replace them with a new ruling class. (A vassal King is a King that owes allegiance to another King or emperor.) King Hosea, the last King of Ephraim was a vassal King to the King of Assyria. Then he conspired with Egypt against Assyria and was caught out. Since Ephraim refused to submit under Assyria, the next thing was to conquer them and replace their ruling class. This posed some new problems for Assyria. The land belongs to Yahweh and is subjected to blessings and curses. Blessings if Yahweh’s commandments are kept and curses if it is not. So, the Samaritans sent a priest back to teach the new occupants of Samaria the things concerning the land and how to worship Yahweh, the God of the land.

But the Northern tribes never worshipped Yahweh, or did they? The golden calve system was a worship system where the Israelites create an image of Yahweh, which in this case was two golden calves, and then setting up their own priesthood that took care of the religious aspects of these golden calves. In other words, they worshipped the right God, the wrong way. Just take note that in no way do I say that the build and worship of the golden calves was accepted or right with Yahweh, but Yahweh is long suffering and very patient. Even back then, His plan for the salvation of his people was already planned out and set-in stone. How far Yahweh’s forgiveness for this “wrong worship” goes, is beyond the qualifications and paygrade of any man, and is in the hands of Yeshua, our Messiah only.

The major problems for Israel started with the worship of the gods of the surrounding nations. Let’s have a look at the commandment against Idolatry in Deuteronomy chapter 4:

Idolatry Forbidden

Deu 4:15 MKJV Therefore take good heed to yourselves, for you saw no kind of likeness on the day Jehovah spoke to you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire,
Deu 4:16 MKJV lest you act corruptly and make yourselves a graven image, the likeness of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
Deu 4:17 MKJV the likeness of any beast on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flies in the air,
Deu 4:18 MKJV the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish in the waters beneath the earth;
Deu 4:19 MKJV and lest you lift up your eyes to the heavens, and when you see the sun, and the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, lest you should be driven to worship them and serve them, which Jehovah your God has allotted to all nations under all the heavens.
Deu 4:20 MKJV But Jehovah has taken you and brought you out from the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be to Him a people of inheritance, as you are today.
Deu 4:21 MKJV And Jehovah was angry with me for your sakes, and swore that I should not go over Jordan, and that I should not go in to that good land which Jehovah your God gives you for an inheritance.
Deu 4:22 MKJV But I must die in this land; I must not go over Jordan. But you shall go over and possess that good land.
Deu 4:23 MKJV Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of Jehovah your God, which He made with you, and make you a graven image, a likeness of anything which Jehovah your God has forbidden you.
Deu 4:24 MKJV For Jehovah your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
Deu 4:25 MKJV When you father sons and sons of sons, and when you shall have remained long in the land and have dealt corruptly by making a graven image, the likeness of anything, and shall do evil in the sight of Jehovah your God, to provoke Him to anger,
Deu 4:26 MKJV I call Heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you shall soon utterly perish from off the land which you are crossing over Jordan to possess. You shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.
Deu 4:27 MKJV And Jehovah shall scatter you among the nations, and you shall be left few in number among the nations where Jehovah shall drive you.
Deu 4:28 MKJV And there you shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell.

The worshipping of Yahweh through Images, which is forbidden, even today, lead people down into idol worship. The gods of the nations are all, in some form or another, connected with the worship of the Sun, Moon, Stars and the hosts of the heavens. Exactly what was prophesied by Moses came to pass.

Israel Will Reap the Whirlwind
Hos 8:1 MKJV Put a trumpet to your mouth. He comes like an eagle against the house of Jehovah, because they have broken My covenant and have sinned against My Law. 
Hos 8:2 MKJV Israel shall cry to Me, My God, we know You. 
Hos 8:3 MKJV Israel has thrown off good; the enemy shall pursue him. 
Hos 8:4 MKJV They have set up kings, but not by Me; they have made rulers, and I knew it not. They have made themselves idols with their silver and their gold, so that they may be cut off. 
Hos 8:5 MKJV Your calf, O Samaria, has cast you off. My anger is kindled against them. Until when will they not attain purity? 
Hos 8:6 MKJV For from Israel it came also. The craftsman made it, but it is not God. For the calf of Samaria shall be splinters. 
Hos 8:7 MKJV For they sow the wind, and they reap the whirlwind. It has no stalk; the bud shall yield no meal; if it does yield, strangers shall swallow it up. 
Hos 8:8 MKJV Israel is swallowed up; now they shall be among the nations as a vessel in which there is no pleasure. 
Hos 8:9 MKJV For they have gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself. Ephraim has hired lovers. 
Hos 8:10 MKJV Yea, though they have hired among the nations, now I will gather them. And they began to be few, from the burden of the King of rulers. 
Hos 8:11 MKJV Because Ephraim has made many altars to sin, altars shall be to him to sin. 
Hos 8:12 MKJV I have written to him the great things of My Law, but they were counted as a strange thing. 
Hos 8:13 MKJV They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of My offerings, and eat it; but Jehovah does not receive them. Now He will remember their iniquity and punish their sins. They shall return to Egypt. 
Hos 8:14 MKJV For Israel has forgotten his Maker, and builds temples. And Judah has multiplied cities. But I will send a fire on his cities, and it shall burn up her palaces. 

The Lord Will Punish Israel
Hos 9:1 MKJV O Israel, rejoice not for joy, like the peoples. For you have gone lusting away from your God; you have loved a reward on every grain floor. 
Hos 9:2 MKJV The floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her. 
Hos 9:3 MKJV They shall not dwell in Jehovah’s land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria. 
Hos 9:4 MKJV They shall not pour wine to Jehovah, nor shall they be pleasing to Him. Their sacrifices shall be like the bread of sorrows to them; all who eat of them shall be defiled. For their bread is for their soul, it shall not come into the house of Jehovah. 
Hos 9:5 MKJV What will you do in the day of meeting, and in the day of the feast of Jehovah?
Hos 9:6 MKJV For lo, they have left because of destruction. Egypt shall gather them up; Memphis shall bury them. Nettles shall possess the desirable things of their silver; thorns shall be in their tents. 
Hos 9:7 MKJV The days of her judgment have come; the days of vengeance have come; Israel shall know it. The prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is insane, because of the greatness of your iniquity and the great hatred. 
Hos 9:8 MKJV The watchman of Ephraim was with my God. The prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God. 
Hos 9:9 MKJV They have deeply corrupted, as in days of Gibeah. He will remember their iniquity; He will punish their sins. 
Hos 9:10 MKJV I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the first-fruit in the fig tree at her first time. But they went to Baal-peor and set themselves apart to a shameful thing; and they became abominable like that which they loved. 
Hos 9:11 MKJV Ephraim is like a bird; their glory shall fly away from birth, and from the womb, and from conception. 
Hos 9:12 MKJV Though they bring up their sons, yet I will make them childless, without a man. Yea, woe also to them when I depart from them! 
Hos 9:13 MKJV Ephraim, when I looked toward Tyre, was planted in a pleasant place. But Ephraim shall bring out his sons to the murderer. 
Hos 9:14 MKJV Give them, O Lord; what will You give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts. 
Hos 9:15 MKJV All their wickedness is in Gilgal, for there I hated them. I will drive them out of My house for the wickedness of their doings. I will love them no more; all their rulers are revolters. 
Hos 9:16 MKJV Ephraim is stricken; their root is dried up; they shall bear no fruit. Yea, though they bear, yet I will slay the beloved ones of their womb. 
Hos 9:17 MKJV My God shall cast them away because they did not listen to Him. And they shall be wanderers among the nations.
Hos 10:1 MKJV Israel is a luxuriant vine; he brings out fruit to himself. According to the multitude of his fruit, he has increased the altars. They have made beautiful images according to the goodness of his land. 
Hos 10:2 MKJV Their heart is divided; now they shall be guilty. He shall break down their altars, and He shall spoil their images. 
Hos 10:3 MKJV For now they shall say, We have no King because we did not fear Jehovah; what then should a King do to us? 
Hos 10:4 MKJV They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant. So judgment springs up like hemlock in the furrows of the field. 
Hos 10:5 MKJV Because of the calves of Beth-aven, the people of Samaria shall dread. For its people shall mourn over it, and its priest rejoiced on it for its glory, because it has departed from it. 
Hos 10:6 MKJV It shall also be carried to Assyria for a present to King Jareb. Ephraim shall receive shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel.
Hos 10:7 MKJV As for Samaria, her King is cut off as a bough on the water. 
Hos 10:8 MKJV Also the high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed. The thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us, and to the hills, Fall on us. 
Hos 10:9 MKJV O Israel, you have sinned from the days of Gibeah. There they stood; the battle against the sons of iniquity did not overtake them in Gibeah. 
Hos 10:10 MKJV When I desire, I shall bind them; and the peoples shall be gathered against them, when they shall bind themselves to their two perversities. 
Hos 10:11 MKJV And Ephraim is like a trained heifer, trying to tread out. But I passed over on the goodness of her neck. I will make Ephraim to ride; Judah shall plow, and Jacob shall break his clods. 
Hos 10:12 MKJV Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground. For it is time to seek Jehovah, until He comes and rains righteousness on you. 
Hos 10:13 MKJV You have plowed wickedness; you have reaped iniquity; you have eaten the fruit of lies, because you trusted in your way, in the multitude of your mighty men. 
Hos 10:14 MKJV And an uproar shall arise among your peoples, and all your fortresses shall be spoiled, as the ruin of Beth-arbel by Shalman in the day of battle. The mother was dashed in pieces on her sons. 
Hos 10:15 MKJV So He does to you, Bethel, because of your great evil. In a morning the King of Israel shall be utterly cut off. 

Chapters 9 and 10 of Hosea probably happened during the time that Hezekiah started to reign from Jerusalem and Hosea’s Samaria was being sieged. Yahweh always tell His prophets what He is going to do and why. The book of Hosea is the reason of why Ephraim was taken by the Assyrians as well as giving us the information that Yahweh will not let the house of Judah go unpunished. The book of Hosea is Yahweh’s commentary of what happened during the last days of the Kings of Ephraim.

It also tells us that the covenant with Ephraim was broken and its people scattered. There were still many of the northern Tribes, that was not taken away out of the land of Israel. Those of them who answered the call of Judah to return to Yahweh, became the remnant of Israel. From this point forth we will learn of how they became part of Judah. Both the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel will still make mention of Israel 12 Tribes in their prophecies. Since the beginning of their prophecies of the destruction of Israel, Yahweh made promise that He will bring all Israel back to the land and to the covenant.

Lead out

All Israel, except for a few cities of the tribes of Judah are destroyed or taken. Yahweh’s prophets prophesied the destruction of all Israel, but the Assyrians was still making war against Ephraim. King’s Ahaz and Hosea were paying Tribute to Assyria. But like all human kings, they die and Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz became king in Judah. Judah was at the brink of destruction, but Hezekiah chose to trust in Yahweh and not in his tribute to Assyria. He listened to the prophecies of Amos and Isaiah and chose to reform Judah and Israel. Next week we will read about King Hezekiah and how he turned away the wrath of Yahweh.