II Kings 14:23-24- In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty and one years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
Jeroboam was the third king in the line of Jehu. God had promised Jehu that his sons to the fourth generation would sit on the throne because he obeyed what God told him to do. But, none of these kings tried to do right in God's sight. They all worshiped the false idols that Solomon's servant had set up so long ago when he began to reign over Israel after the nation was split in two.
God was allowing so much war and devastation to come upon Israel in the hopes that it would turn their heart back to serving Him. But, God was also merciful and helped them to win battles and end the oppression of the wicked, and yet they still wouldn't do right.
II Kings 14:25-27- He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gathhepher. For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter: for there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel. And the LORD said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven: but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.
Not only did God send good times and bad times, but He also sent prophets, like Jonah, to tell the Israelites of their wrong doings and encourage them to repent, but they wouldn't listen.
So, God was going to keep his promise to let four generations sit on the throne, and then He was going to severely punish Israel.
II Kings 14:28-29 - Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he warred, and how he recovered Damascus, and Hamath, which belonged to Judah, for Israel, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zachariah his son reigned in his stead.
God was fed up with all this evil. He sent Isaiah the prophet to prophesy of the end of the nation of Israel.
Isaiah 8:1-4- Moreover the LORD said unto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man's pen concerning Mahershalalhashbaz. And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah. And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the LORD to me, Call his name Mahershalalhashbaz. For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.
God told Isaiah to name his son that would be born Mahershalalhashbaz, because the son would still be a little child when the Lord sent the nation of Israel into captivity.
So, Jeroboam died, and his son, Zachariah, became the fourth king of the line of Jehu to sit on the throne. But, he wasn't going to be king for long.
II Kings 15:8-12- In the thirty and eighth year of Azariah king of Judah did Zachariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him before the people, and slew him, and reigned in his stead. And the rest of the acts of Zachariah, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. This was the word of the LORD which he spake unto Jehu, saying, Thy sons shall sit on the throne of Israel unto the fourth generation. And so it came to pass.
Zachariah only rule for half a year, and Shallum killed him and took the throne for his own. The entire land of Israel was going to be in a tumult. Their new king, Shallum would have a shorter rule than the man he murdered.
II Kings 15:13-15- Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of Uzziah king of Judah; and he reigned a full month in Samaria. For Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, and came to Samaria, and smote Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria, and slew him, and reigned in his stead. And the rest of the acts of Shallum, and his conspiracy which he made, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
Shallum only reigned for one month and then he was murdered.
What do you think the citizens of Israel were thinking? Do you suppose that maybe they thought about asking God to guide them? They didn't. They sinned even more by asking counsel of witches.
Isaiah 8:19-22 - And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward. And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.
These people were so far gone in the darkness of their sin that God was going to allow them to be led into slavery. They would soon live in darkness.
II Kings 15:17-20- In the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah king of Judah began Menahem the son of Gadi to reign over Israel, and reigned ten years in Samaria. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. And Pul the king of Assyria came against the land: and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand. And Menahem exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and stayed not there in the land.
Menahem took the throne from Shallum, and he reigned 10 years. He was just as wicked as the rest of them. And, God sent the king of Assyria against Menahem.
Menahem thought that he could persuade the king of Assyria to leave his kingdom alone by paying him a lot of money. He taxed his people to raise this money and paid the king of Assyria to leave.
The king of Assyria did go away. Perhaps, Menahem thought that he could get away from the prophesy of Isaiah. But, God's Word always comes to pass. Isaiah said that the king of Assyria would come into the land while his son was still a child, and he did. But, the king of Assyria would be back, and he would lead the people of Israel into captivity, just like Isaiah said.
II Kings 15:21-24- And the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? And Menahem slept with his fathers; and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead. In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
After Menahem, his son Pekahiah took the throne. And, just like his father, and many of the evil kings before them he worshiped false idols. His reign only lasted 2 years.
II Kings 15:25-26- But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the king's house, with Argob and Arieh, and with him fifty men of the Gileadites: and he killed him, and reigned in his room. And the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
Pekahiah was murdered by Pekah, one of the leaders of his army. Pekah took the throne and ruled, but he also was an evil man who worshiped the golden calves that had caused Israel to be detested by God.
II Kings 15:27-29- In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abelbethmaachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria.
This was the beginning of the end of the nation of Israel. The king of Assyria came back and took some of the people into captivity. This was just the beginning.
II Kings 15:30-31- And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah. And the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
Israel's sentence was nearing it's completion. The nation has gone through six different kings in just 23 years! They saw the prophecy of Isaiah come to pass, and they still didn't turn to God. And, God was about to wipe their nation off the map!
