The Fall of Israel

Introduction

I began to name this the ‘Bible Person Study’, but chose to go with the ‘Bible Character Study’. I hesitated to name it that, as I don’t want to diminish the fact that these are real people we’ll be examining. But the reason that it’s named the Bible Character Study is because we’ll be focusing on the person’s character throughout. But don’t forget that these were real people, with real lives that made real choices that had real consequences.

I. Their Nature

((What is their History / Background?)

The 18th and 19th Kings of Israel

Jeroboam; Nadab; >

Baasha; Elah; >

Zimri

Omri (Tibni - not counted); Ahab; Ahaziah, Jehoram, >

Jehu, Jehoahaz, Johoash, Jeroboam II; Zachariah, >

Shallum

Menahem; Pekahiah

Pekah

Hoshea

Reigned Collectively for 29 years

Pekah - 20 years (2Ki. 15:27)

Hoshea - 9 years (2Ki. 17:1)

During the Reigns of Uzziah; Ahaz & Hezekiah Kings of Judah

Pikah comes in at the very tail end of Uzziah's reign. (The last year)

II. Their Notoriety

(What they are known for?)

Two Kinds of Evil (2Ki. 15:28; 17:2)

In 2 Kings 15:28 we see a very familiar statement in that Pekah continued in the sins of Jeroboam. Which means he was leading the people astray with idolatry and the promotion thereof.

Now you contrast that with his successor Hoshea and it's a very interesting statement at the end of 2 Kings 17:2.

What exactly does that mean? I'm not sure.

It could be that while his predecessors worshiped the golden calves, he did not.

Others worshipped Baal and Balaam. Maybe he did not.

It could be that he was an atheist, Although atheism seems more to be a rather New Age belief, as we rarely see that in ancient times. Which is interesting because we often think of those in ancient times as being less smart than we are today. I'm here to tell you that's the opposite of true.

What we do know for sure is that it was evil in the sight of the Lord - and that’s all that matters.

Hot topics in the church today are:

abortion

sodomy

transgenderism

Let me just say that all of those are evil. I doubt those sins affect very many of you but let me tell you what else is evil. Proverbs 6:16–19 “These six things doth the Lord hate: Yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, Feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, And he that soweth discord among brethren.”

While we hate these sexual sins, God doesn’t even mention them here - but He does mention:

Pride

Lying

Wicked imaginations of the heart

Those that sow discord among brethren

All too often too many Christians are looking at these types of sins as if they are somehow acceptable or better than the ones that we hate. Let me tell you what: there's all kinds of evil in the sight of the Lord. - And how he sees it is all that matters.

There were two kinds of evil.

Chaos & Conspiracy (2Ki. 15:25; 30)

Once again chaos is going through the political realm of the country and more conspiracy.

Both of these men conspired against the king before them.

I want to make special note though that while there was chaos in Samaria, in much of the country there was not at that time. Now the time comes at the end of these reigns where it affects everyone.

That being said, there's chaos in DC and the true effects of that chaos don't have much day-to-day effect upon our lives.

I'm not saying no effect. Gas is over $4. We do see some things, but otherwise we go about out daily lives

Chaos and conspiracy mar these kingdoms

Rejection of Correction (Mic. 1:1-7; Isa. 9:8-21)

The last time we looked at the northern nation of Israel, we examined four kings that spanned a total of 12 years & 7 months. During that time great men of God such as Hosea And Amos. We're warning the Northern Kingdom to either get right or suffer judgment.

God sent more men to warn them. The first we'll look at is Micah. (Mic. 1:1-7)

And although Isaiah is more directed toward the southern kingdom, God used him to warn the northern kingdom as well. (Isa. 9:8-21)

Yet though these were godly men, the nation ignored the warnings.

I would love to know more about how these men were perceived by general society, if they were looked at as Bible thumpers, or relics from days gone by…

These kings rejected the correction that God was sending them

Decline and Destruction (2Ki. 15:29; 17:1-6)

Back in Manahem's day he bought off the Assyrians.

In Pekah's day the Assyrians carried away some cities into captivity. (2Ki. 15:29)

In Hosea's day they conquered them completely. (2Ki. 17:1-6)

A slow but steady decline into destruction. The end being around 40 years in the making.

But do you know what? It came to pass just exactly as God had said.

Declined and destruction.

III. What Makes them Noteworthy

(What Lessons we can Learn from them?)

God uses even the Wicked for His Purposes (2Chr. 28:6)

We haven't looked at Ahaz's reign from the southern nation of Judah yet but he was a wicked king and God used Pekah to bring judgment upon that southern kingdom.

The Bible declares: Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Just as God used the Pharisees and the Sadducees and Pilate in Jesus' day to carry out His will, He used Pekah in the same fashion.

And if there be wicked people in your life that bring you harm, God may be using them to bring about good for you.

God even uses the wicked for his purposes.

One Man Can Make a Difference (2Chr. 28:9)

As Pekah was making his way back to Samaria, With the spoils of war and 200,000 captives, he encountered a man by the name of Oded, a prophet of the Lord.

God would use this man Oded to the freeing of those 200,000 captives.

Church, one man can make a difference.

(Ill.) If I didn't believe that I would not be running for office. The more I learned, the more I see of these politics, it turns my stomach. But if I were state and our nation is to be saved, then godly people must stand up and trust that God can use even them to redeem a people and do great things.

Maybe you were in a situation at work.

Maybe you are in a situation with your family.

Whatever the situation, God can use one person to make a difference in the lives of many.

One man can make a difference.

Sin in Secret is still Seen by God (2Ki. 17:9)

In this verse we see an interesting description, and that is they did secret sin against the Lord.

I don't know about you but when I consider the manner in which the Northern Kingdom acted, it looks like wickedness was just abounding. But you know when you contrast it with places like Sodom and Gomorrah, it's a whole different kind of sinfulness.

The sinfulness of the Northern Kingdom was not as open in that sense.

These were a religious people and when the Bible talks about them playing the harlot under every green tree, it's talking about them worshiping other gods.

So too in general society their sin did not appear apparent. But it was still sin nonetheless and it was seen by God.

As mentioned earlier your sin may not be as apparent as a man that would come in here dressed in a woman's attire but it does not mean that your sin is any less or less noticed by God.

Sin in secret is still seen by God.

God’s Grace gives Time and Testimony before Judgment (2Ki. 17:13-14)

Here in these verses we have a few things to notice, and that is that before Israel's fall God gave them time and a testimony.

God did not bring justice upon them blindly. They were given warning after warning and gave him a space to repent. Just like the church in Thyatira in Revelation 2:21 “And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.”

As we consider America today I will just say that God has been very gracious unto us. For at least 70 years now we have been on a decline in this nation and have been rejecting the God of the Bible more and more.

Yet during this time God has had some faithful men warning our nation of judgment.

We have gone from a nation that depended upon God to depending upon government in the 30’s-40’s.

We then rejected God in the public square in the early 60’s

Although America has been religious consistently, we have been consistently in decline concerning biblical Christianity.

And so we have turned into a religious people but now we are becoming Sodom.

Thomas Jefferson speaking of slavery said: “Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever…” Much can be said of this topic alone, but the point is that God has been gracious, given us warning just as He did the Northern Kingdom. Let us not forget: Romans 11:21 “For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.”

God’s Grace gives Time and Testimony before Judgment - but Judgment certainly comes

What were Israel’s Sins?

As we go through the sins that are listed concerning Israel, I want to pay close attention as to how closely they line up with America.

Rejecting the God who Redeemed Them (2Ki. 17:7)

We are a nation founded upon the God of the Bible.

In addressing some Native American leaders, George Washington said: “You do well to wish to learn our arts and ways of life, and above all, the religion of Jesus Christ. These will make you a greater and happier people than you are.”

John Quincy Adams said: "The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity."

Andrew Jackson: “The Bible is the rock on which our republic rests.”

We're getting ready to celebrate our 250th anniversary of the birth of our nation. In those 250 years America has experienced a lot but we have and are continuing to do so. Reject the God that redeemed us.

They rejected the God who redeemed them.

Idolatry (2Ki. 17:10)

The children of Israel set up images and groves. In other words they worshipped what they wanted and how they wanted to do it.

Gone were the dictates of God Almighty in worshipping him and how he wanted it and in its place came a cheap knockoff.

We have many idols in our nation today. Time would permit me to speak of them all, But they run the gamut. Sports is a big one…

But we can see how Christianity itself has become simply a manner of worship in which the manner in which we worship is dictated by our wants instead of His. Many in America are acting just like Nadab and Abihu and offering strange fire before the Lord.

We see idolatry.

Mimicking the Heathen (2Ki. 17:11)

Concerning the religion of the day, it's hard to tell in many churches you go to on Sunday morning the difference in appearance from what they could experience in a bar on a Saturday night.

Christians today try their best to blend in when God has called us to be a peculiar people and to be separate.

They were mimicking the heathen.

They became Vain (2Ki. 17:15)

Ecclesiastes 1:2 “Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.” So said Solomon.

Our society is so self-absorbed.

Our lives have become the sum total of what we want, regardless of what anybody else desires.

We spend our days performing the pleasures of self on social media, games, and hobbies.

How much time do you spend for the Lord?

They became vain - just like us

They approved of Child Sacrifice (2Ki. 17:17)

Having them pass through the fire is understood to be offering them up on an altar of sacrifice unto Moloch.

We think there is no way that we would offer a baby upon a fire for an offering unto the LORD… That would be crazy.

Now we just offer them up in a Petri dish and dispose of them like garbage.

Since 1973, it’s estimated that America has aborted 63-65 million babies upon the altar of Molech.

They approved of child sacrifice, just like we have.

Sin Brought on by their Leaders (2Ki. 17:22)

Churches this is a very important point to understand. The preachers of their day may have failed, many of them. But it was decisions by the leaders of their political system that brought judgment upon them.

Think about that.

And here's the thing: the people as a whole weren't the ones necessarily responsible for setting up these leaders. But here in America we have a democratic republic where we Have the ability to elect our leaders and we're still in the same mess that they were.

One of the saddest things that I've seen in this whole political process is the lack of involvement and engagement by the people. In many respects we have an ignorant electorate. This is why another prophet during this time said: Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: Because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: Seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”

Conclusion