Summary

Despite the people and the king's failure to uphold their part of the Covenant, God continued to uphold His part. He also sent prophet after prophet to remind the people about the consequences of not remaining faithful to Him.

God sent Elijah and Elisha to the kings of Israel in the 800's BC - less than 100 years after King David died and about 100 years before the fall of the kingdom to Assyria. Between Elijah and Elisha, they called down fire from Heaven to kill the priest of the queen's false god, healed people, raised people from the dead, and more. Nevertheless, the kings often ignored their advice and warnings. (One of the worst kings did repent near the end of his life after Elijah told him God was going to bring disaster upon him.)

Eventually, Jeroboam II, one of the kings of Israel, regained control of the land once ruled by Solomon (2 Kings 14:25) because Assyria, their rival to the north experienced trouble on their other borders, leaving Israel to expand northward again. During this time, God sent the prophet Jonah to the enemy offering to relent on their destruction if they repented (Jonah). Jonah did not want to go, and their repentance greatly upset him.

God sent Amos to Israel during Jeroboam II's reign. Amos warned both kingdoms their current state of prosperity was not God's stamp of approval upon them and their worship of the Baals. Instead, he told them they would experience the "day of the Lord" or the judgment they expected to come to their enemies rather than their enemies if they did not turn back to God. He reminded them if they did turn back to Him, God would forgive them and bless them as the Covenant promised. God later sent Nahum in the 600's to warn Nineveh of their coming judgment and destruction which happened exactly as God said it would happen.

Hosea also went to Jeroboam as well as Israel's final six kings - one king after another who ruled over a span of about 30 years amid conspiracy, rebellion, assassinations, and paying of tribute. He reminded the people of their marriage or union with God and pointed out how their worship of the false gods resembled the actions of a wayward wife leaving her husband for another. He also reminded them God would take them back as a loving husband if they would only return whole heatedly to Him.

The kings and the people did not turn back to God. As a result, Israel fell to the Assyrian empire in 722 B.C. The Assyrians carried them off into captivity and settled their portion of the Promised Land with other captured peoples who did not know or fear God. God sent lions to attack the people, and they requested a priest of the "god of the land" to come teach them about the god where they now lived. The Assyrian king sent a priest back to Bethel to teach the people, but they only added the "worship" of God to the worship of their gods - 2 Kings 17:24-41.

Although Judah did not turn away from God as quick, they still followed Israels example and eventually became even more wicked then the northern kingdom. God sent prophets to them as well including Isaiah and Jeremiah. Isaiah pointed out the people's unwillingness to repent and God's purpose for the coming judgment. He reminded the people God is Holy and would uphold His Covenant with a remnant of people faithful to Him. Jeremiah recorded the troubled times of Judah and God's warnings to the kings and people of the time and the hope of a new Covenant in the future (which was fulfilled in Christ).

God also sent other prophets. Micah pointed out the people's sins in the early 700's yet also reminded them of God's faithfulness, steadfast love, and compassion just as He always has been. Zephaniah prophesied during the reign of the evil, child-sacrificing Manasseh pointing out the "day of Lord" will be a day of judgment for sinners but blessing for God's children and that God will be right, or just, in how He deals with both groups. Habakkuk questioned God's coming judgment on Judah by a foreign, wicked nation but rested in knowing God's just and merciful plan always leads to the eventual punishment of the evil and blessing of the righteous who live by faith in Him.

Finally, God used Ezekiel while he was already in captivity in Babylon to further warn the people and remind them why they were in captivity - their terrible actions against their God. Ezekiel saw the sinful actions of the leaders in Jerusalem, and he saw the presence of God leave the temple. God told Ezekiel when Jerusalem fell and showed him how aweful the seige and following devestation were through vivid life-examples - being bound up on his side in his house during the seige and suffering the sudden death of his wife - the "delight of his eyes" (Ezekiel 24:15).

God warned His people over and over to remain faithfull to the Him and reminded them of the consequences of breaking of their Covenant. Nevertheless, they did not listen and followed the example of the northern Kingdom into judgement.

---

Back to Top

The Facts

---

2 Kings - ESV - KJV - NIV
2 Chronicles 13-36 - ESV - KJV - NIV
Amos - ESV - KJV - NIV
Jonah - ESV - KJV - NIV
Hosea - ESV - KJV - NIV
Micah - ESV - KJV - NIV
Isaiah - ESV - KJV - NIV
Nahum - ESV - KJV - NIV
Zephaniah - ESV - KJV - NIV
Habakkuk - ESV - KJV - NIV
Jeremiah - ESV - KJV - NIV
Ezekiel 1-33 - ESV - KJV - NIV

---

Important People

King Saul, King David, King Solomon, other kings of Israel, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel

---

Major Events/Accounts

Israel continued to serve other gods and broke the Covenant. As a result, God sent a foreign nation to conquor the nothern kingdom and disperse them throughout foreign lands.

Judah followed the same path as they continually broke the Covenant. God sent a foreign nation to conquor the southern kingdom and carry them off into captivity. Neverthesless, God continued to promise to redeem His people, always have a remenant, and send the Promised Messiah.

---

Key Words/Repeated Phrases

he did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam
did evil in the sight of the LORD
slept with his fathers....was buried
worshiped other gods

---

Names of God

Jehovah Tsidkenu: The LORD Our Righteous

Jeremiah 23:6 - In his days, Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: the LORD is our righteous refers to the "Righteous Branch"

---

Back to Top

Hide the Word in Your Heart

---

Verses from the Account

Isaiah 45:5

I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me.

---

Isaiah 6:8

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Who shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

---

Isaiah 40:8

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

---

Verses to Share the Truths Taught through the Account

Matthew 21:22

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

---

Back to Top

Jesus in the Account

---

Jesus is the long awaited King of Kings.

---

Jesus is the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53.

---

Back to Top

Did You Know?

---

Jezebel's father was a priest of a false God. Even his name, Ethbaal, included the name of a false god.

Israel began to worship false gods even more as their "queen" brought her own priest with her.

---

Baal was called the "Lord of Rain and Dew".

When Elijah predicted a drought, he was saying God controlled the rain and the dew - not Baal.

---

The widow Elijah stayed with during the drought was in the very "land" of the god whom Israel was now worshiping.

God showed His control over all lands by feeding His prophet in the land of the "enemy". He is more powerful than any god of any land.

---

Elijah fled to Mt. Horeb after Jezebel threatened his life when he defeated and killed the prophets of Baal.

Mt. Horeb, also called Mt. Sinai, is the same mountain where Moses saw the burning bush (Exodus 3:1-2), the mountain Moses struck for water (Exodus 17:6), and the mountain where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments.

---

Elisha performed twice as many miracles or workings of God in the Bible as Elijah.

Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah's spirit (2 Kings 2:9).

---

The similarities and the differences between Elijah and Elisha are quite interesting.

Elijah lived mostly in the desert, wore sheepskin, and called fire down to kill groups of people from heaven three times. Elisha lived in town among the people and most of his miracles were for the benefit of others. How many more can you find?

---

The Assyrians were a weak point when God sent Jonah.

Jonah and the people of Israel thought God was about the judge the Assyrians for their wickedness. This could be one reason Jonah was so hesitant to tell them about God's repentance. Instead, it was Israel who was about to receive judgment from these very people.

---

Nineveh, the capitol of Israel's main enemy the Assyrians, was experiencing a famine when Jonah went to them.

The details surrounding the famine had the Assyrians believing they were about to fall themselves. The common people had even rebelled and sent the king running for safety. As a result, when Jonah told them their city would be destroyed in three days, they believed him and repented - unlike the people of God.

---

The people of Nineveh worshiped a fish god.

Jonah had just spent three days in the belly of a large fish, so they were ready to listen to him.

---

The Assyrian military under Tiglath-pileser was one of the most cruel and ruthless armies that ever existed.

Artifacts and history support the Assyrian reputation for brutality. (More info in this Patterns of Evidence article.) Nevertheless, as a result of the compassion of the God of the Israelites to the Assyrians when they were at a weak point, they Assyrians were actually a little less brutal to the people of Israel when they overtook His people. They were still extremely brutal but not quite as much as usual when they conquered an enemy.

---

The people sent to resettle the land of Israel became the Samaritans.

The Samaritans worshiped God, but they did not worship Him alone. They even claimed Abraham as their father. The Jews (the people who returned from captivity in Babylon) considered them half-breeds because their ancestors had intermarried with people of other nations.

---

According to Ezekiel (12:13), Zedekiah would go into Babylon in captivity yet he would not see it.

Zedekiah would not see Babylon because the Babylonians put out his eyes (2 Kings 25:7).

---

Jews will not read Isaiah 53.

Isaiah 53 describes the "suffering servant". The chapter clearly points to Jesus whom Jews do not believe was the Son of God.

---

The first recorded Olympic games happened during this time period in 776 B.C.

Homer also lived during this time.

---

Back to Top

Discuss It

---

1. What is the most interesting thing or something new you learned from reading and studying this account?
2. Summarize the account and its message in your own words.
3. What did you learn about God from reading and studying this account?
4. How does this account point to God's plan to redeem this world through the sacrifice and obedience of Jesus?
5. How can you apply the truth of what you learned from reading and studying this account in your own life?

---

Back to Top

Teach It

---

Coming in 2021!

---

Back to Top

Share It

---

Coming in 2021!

---

Back to Top

Celebrate It

---

Coming in 2021!

---

Back to Top