Tuesday, October 8, 2013

The Assyrians Destroy Israel

II Kings 17:1-23

“In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years.  And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.” (II Kings 17:1-2)

Hoshea became king of Israel during Ahaz’s twelvth year as king of Judah.  He did not obey the law, but unlike the kings before him, his disobedience was not deliberate. He simply accepted the previous kings’ policies and decisions without question.  He was actually a better king than most of earlier kings of Israel, and was probably a better king than either Ahaziah or Ahaz in Judah.

“Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents.’ (II Kings 17:3)

For about thirty years, the Assyrians had controlled much of Israel, starting with the Assyrian king, Pul, in Menahem’s day and Tiglathpileser III in Pekah’s day.  To make their hold over Israel more secure, Shalmaneser captured Hoshea and forced him to swear loyalty and pay tribute as an Assyrian territory.

“And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.” (II Kings 17:4)

Hoshea resented being dominated by the Assyrians and sent the tribute money to Egypt in an attempt to enlist their help in breaking away from Assyria.   Egypt was concerned that they would invade Egypt, so it seemed like an opportunity to stop the threat.  When he didn’t receive his payment, Shalmaneser investigated and found out Hoshea’s plan, and had him arrested and imprisoned.

“Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.  In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.” (II Kings 17:5-6)

After a three year battle, Shalmaneser conquered Samaria and the rest of Israel.  Frustrated by Israel’s constant rebellion, Shalmaneser decided to end it once and for all.  While the Assyrians have been accused of extreme cruelty, they were actuale quite humane to Israel, simply deporting them in small groups throughout the Assyrian Empire so they could not unite to cause trouble.

The area around the Sea of Galilee had been taken when Assyria conquered Syria, and the Jews were never relocated.  In Jesus’ day it had been returned to Israel and was known as Galilee.

 “For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods, And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.

And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the LORD their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.

And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree: And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger: For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing.” (II Kings 17:7-12)

Israel had contracted with God that they would serve him and follow his law in exchange for the right to claim the land of Israel for their own.  For over a hundred fifty years, they have not made a full payment, and under some of their kings no payment at all was made.  Finally, God sent the Assyrians to evict them for nonpayment.

“Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.

Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God.  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 round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.  And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.  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 the LORD, to provoke him to anger.” (II Kings 17:13-17)

Throughout the time, God had sent them various notices reminding them of their responsibilities by different prophets.  At various times they had violated their agreement so severely that he had been forced to call the police in to straighten things out, yet they refused to make any effort to live by the contract.  In fact, they deliberately violated it , daring him to do anything about it.

“Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.   Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. 

And the LORD 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 rent Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the LORD, and made them sin a great sin. 

For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them; Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.” (II Kings 17:18-23)

In many ways it was like a family which has rented an apartment but then allows their relatives move in.   The apartment begins to get trashed because there are too many people and no one takes responsibility.   Not wanting to be unfair to those who are trying to do right and in an effort to resolve the problem the apartment owner might allow the relatives to rent a separate apartment for themselves.  Each family would then be responsible for the payment and care of their own apartment.  If they do not fulfil their agreement they will be evicted.

Originally God had given the entire land to the nation of Israel under the leadership of David’s family.  When problems developed and they were not fulfilling their contract, he allowed them to form separate countries.  Israel had chosen Jeroboam as king and had deliberately and intentionally refused to meet the terms of their contract from the very beginning.  Finally, God was forced to evict them.

Those ten tribes forming the nation of Israel were dispersed throughout the Assyrian Empire, eventually scattering almost around the world and becoming so integrated that they became known as the ten lost tribes.  Only after the reestablishment of Israel in 1948 have they begun to reunite.

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