2 Kings 15-17 The Fall of Israel

Thoughts

Kings 15 The 5 Kings

Azariah (also called Uzziah) becomes king of Judah. He reigns 52 years in Jerusalem. He does what is right in the Lord’s sight, but once again, the high places are not removed.

God strikes him with leprosy until death, and he lives in isolation while his son Jotham takes over (see 2 Chronicles 26 for full story). 

Zechariah, son of Jeroboam II, rules Israel  for six months.He does evil continuing Jeroboam’s sins.

A man named Shallum conspires against him, assassinates him, and takes the throne.This fulfills God’s word to Jehu: his dynasty ends after four generations.

Shallum reigns only one month when a man named Menahem rises against him, kills him, and becomes king. (A bit of a pattern…)

Menahem attacks Tiphsah and its surrounding territory brutality. He reigns 10 years , continuing in Jeroboam’s sins.

The King of Assyria invades Israel. Menahem pays him off with heavy tribute, taxing wealthy men to raise silver. He is succeeded by his son Pekahiah.

Pekahiah rules in Samaria for two years. He continues in Jeroboam’s sins. His officer Pekah  kills him in the palace and takes over

6Pekah reigns for 20 years and continues in Jeroboam’s sins.

King  of Assyria captures large territories of Israel and exiles their inhabitants. Hoshea assassinates Pekah, and becomes king.

Jotham, son of Uzziah, begins to reign in Judah. He reigns 16 years in Jerusalem. He does what is right, but again the high places remain.

The Lord now begins to send Rezin of Aram (Syria) and Pekah of Israel against Judah. Jotham is succeeded by Ahaz.

Kings 16

Ahaz begins to reign at age 20 and rules 16 years in Jerusalem. He does evil in God’s sight (even sacrificing his son in fire.)

Rezin king of Aram (Syria) and Pekah king of Israel attack Jerusalem. They besiege the city but cannot overpower Ahaz.

Ahaz sends silver and gold from the temple and royal treasuries as a gift to Tiglath-Pileser III, king of Assyria. The Assyrian king attacks Damascus, captures it, deports its people, and kills Rezin.

Ahaz visits Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser. Uriah builds a model of a pagan altar  in Jerusalem. Ahaz offers sacrifices on this new altar, pushing aside the bronze altar of the Lord.

Ahaz removes parts of the temple furnishings (side panels, basins, stands). He takes down the bronze sea from its oxen base. He alters the temple entryway, (possibly to please the Assyrian king or adapt to foreign practices)

Ahaz dies and is buried in Jerusalem. His son Hezekiah succeeds him.

Kings 17 The Fall

Hoshea son of Elah reigns in Israel for 9 years. He is described as evil, though not as bad as previous kings. Later he conspires with Egypt, stops paying tribute, and is imprisoned by Assyria.

Assyria invades and besieges Samaria (Israel) for three years. Israelites are deported to Assyria (Halah, Gozan, and cities of the Medes). This marks the end of the northern kingdom (722 B.C.).

• The narrator gives a theological explanation:
  • Israel sinned against the Lord who brought them out of Egypt.
  • They worshiped other gods, imitated the nations, and set up high places.
  • They built idols (Asherah poles, Baal worship), practiced divination, and even sacrificed their children.
  • Despite repeated warnings by prophets, they refused to listen and “hardened their necks”.
• Judah is warned that they also did not keep God’s commandments.

The Assyrians repopulate Samaria with people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim. These foreigners bring their own gods. At first they do not fear the Lord, so God sends lions among them. The Assyrian king sends back an exiled Israelite priest to teach them “how to worship the God of the land.”

Each group of settlers makes gods of their own and sets them up in shrines. They “worship the Lord” but also serve their own gods.

This practice continues “to this day.”

Questions

Why did Kings never remove high places? Were they anxious it would anger the people?

What happened with Uzziah’s leprosy?

Application

In 2 Kings 15–17, we watch the  unraveling of God’s people. Judah’s kings looked faithful on the surface, but they left the high places standing. Israel’s kings never turned from the sins of Jeroboam. Small sins turned into a way of life.  By chapter 16, Ahaz wasn’t just tolerating idol worship, he was fully immersing himself into Assyrian worship.  However, God is patient. He sent prophets to call His people back and warned them again and again. Maybe today we have thoughts or habits that go unchecked that can spread and destroy. It’s time to tear down our own ‘high places’ and turn to God for help.