The Late Divided Kingdom (841-722 BC)

(2 Ki 9.30-17.41; 2 Ch 22.9-28.27)

 

1.       Introductory notes

a.        During this time, especially into the 8th century BC, we begin to see the rise of the writing prophets

                     i.            In the north, we see Amos and Hosea

                    ii.            In the south, we see Isaiah and Micah

b.       What was the nature of prophetic ministry in Israel / Judah?

                     i.            The prophet’s speech was viewed as divine speech

                    ii.            The prophet has divine authority

                  iii.            What God says, the prophet says

                  iv.            What the messenger says, God says

                   v.            See also Introductory Notes (section a) in notes for “The Early Divided Kingdom”

c.        Main themes of the prophets is death/exile—salvation/restoration

                     i.            Translated in the NT into death—resurrection

1.       First in Jesus

2.       Next for the whole world by faith

                    ii.            Keeps in our paradigm of the OT as a type/shadow/etc. of the realities found in Christ

d.       Background of prophecy in the ancient Near East

                     i.            Prophets were common in nations around Israel

                    ii.            These prophets played a distinctly different role than prophets in Israel and Judah

1.       Thought to have spoke on behalf of the gods

2.       Served primarily as advisors and consultants to the kings

3.       In reality, these prophets were little more than the kings puppets and lackeys

4.       Contrary to Scripture, a ‘false prophet’ in these nations was one who spoke ill of the king

                  iii.            While the title ‘prophet’ is common across the region, only in Israel / Judah do we ever see prophets in the biblical sense

e.        One difficulty with reading the prophets is the necessity of properly interpreting their often-difficult speeches and oracles.  In essence, we must recognize that this is not ordinary speech, and we must play by the rules of biblical interpretation if we are to rightly understand their messages.  Daniel Block offers the following basic principles…’

                     i.            Recognize that prophetic speech is rhetorical speech (Rhetoric is the art of using language for persuasion, in speaking or writing…’through the prophets God is making a point!)

                    ii.            Interpret the oracle within its cultural context (i.e., to understand the words and ways the prophet writes/speaks, we must place ourselves in his historical situation)

                  iii.            Interpret the oracle within its literary context (i.e., how it fits into the arrangement of Scripture and other oracles by the same prophet)

                  iv.            Pay careful attention to an oracle’s literary an poetic features (i.e., be on the lookout for parallelism, figures of speech, hyperbole, imagery, symbolism, etc.)

                   v.            Interpret the prophecy within the context of the other biblical prophets (for example, Ezek 34 clearly expands on Jer 23.3-5; Ezek 28 builds on Is 14; etc.)

                  vi.            Examine the relationship between prophetic messages and earlier divine revelation, especially the covenant blessings / curses of Lev 26 and Deut 28 (hint: God’s judgments against Israel are not his failure to keep the covenant but his acts of fidelity to it)

                vii.            Recognize that most prophetic preaching was driven by ethical and spiritual concerns, specific predictions of the distant future represents only a small minority of prophetic messages

               viii.            Observe evidences of conditionality in God’s announcement of judgment, even where it is implied

                  ix.            Prophetic visions of the distant future are often compressed and tend to focus on the Messiah and the Messianic Age

                   x.            Recognize that Israel’s prophets were preachers whose goal was pastoral, to feed the flock and challenge them to faithful covenant living

                  xi.            Reflect on the permanent theology expressed by the prophet…’here is the key to application today!

2.       Elisha’s ministry (2 Ki 1-9)

a.        Succeeds Elijah

                     i.            Passing Elijah’s cloak and ‘double portion’ request (reminiscent of inheritance traditions) point out that Elisha is the next generation of prophet to succeed Elijah…his spiritual descendant

                    ii.            Seen by God as one and the same (cf. 1 Ki 19.15-18)

b.       Moab’s rebellion after the death of Ahab

                     i.            Israel, Judah and Edom march down to Moab…with Elisha

                    ii.            After one week with no water, faithless Jehoram seeks a word from God

                  iii.            God (thru Elisha) rejects Jehoram…telling him to call on Baal (the storm god) for an answer

1.       God then promises water

2.       Moabites think water is blood and go to attack, unsuccessfully

c.        Several famous accounts from Elisha’s ministry

                     i.            Widow’s oil

                    ii.            Shunammite woman and her family

1.       Shunem was in northern Canaan, outside Israel

2.       Promises a son and then revives him from death

                  iii.            Purifying the deadly stew

                  iv.            Feeding 100 men with very little food (on a much smaller scale than Jesus’ miracle!)

                   v.            Healing Naaman (commander of Syrian army) of leprosy

                  vi.            Judges Gehazi’s greed and transfers leprosy to him (Yahweh is not Baal that he may be manipulated!)

                vii.            Recovering the axe head from the water

               viii.            …what is going on here?  What is the point?  Quite simply that Yahweh’s power, influence, grace, etc. touch all facets of life in all areas of the world to all who come in faith!

d.       Siege of Samaria (2 Ki 6.24-7.20)

                     i.            Desperate times (2 Ki 6.25) versus God’s deliverance (2 Ki 9.1)

                    ii.            Clear example of God’s grace to the apostate North…though they still refused (largely) to return to him

3.       King Jehu of Israel

a.        Anointed by Elisha (2 Ki 9) and purposed by God to judge the house of wicked Ahab (1 Ki 19.16-17)

b.       Kills the kings of Israel (Joram) and Judah (Ahaziah), as well as Jezebel (2 Ki 9) and all the sons of Ahab (2 Ki 10)…forever shattering relations between the south and the north

c.        Even Jehu’s purging of Baal worship (2 Ki 10) was probably a political move against a powerful priesthood instead of true faith in Yahweh, evidenced by the fact that he did not follow God’s Law (2 Ki 10.31)

d.       Never a strong international ruler

                     i.            Forced to pay tribute to the Assyrians, an event recorded in the Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser

                    ii.            Loses Transjordan region to Syria

4.       Queen Athaliah and Joash of Judah

a.        Athaliah’s reign temporarily suspends the Davidic line in Judah, but no mention is made of her six year reign apart from her attempted destruction of the royal family

b.       Joash was the only surviving son in the royal line…he was crowned at age seven and ‘ruled’ under the watchful care of the high priest Jehoiada (2 Ki 11-12)

                     i.            Removed Baal worship and slowly restored the temple

                    ii.            When Syria (King Hazael) threatened Jerusalem, Joash paid him off from the riches in the temple rather than face him in battle or call upon the Lord, an ominous sign (2 Ki 12.18)

                  iii.            After Jehoida’s death, Joash was led away from God to Baal by his princes (2 Ch 24.17-19)

1.       God sent his prophets to call Joash back to him but he refused

2.       Joash even had Jehoida’s son stoned (a priest sent of God to call him to repentance)

3.       His apostasy brought God’s wrath and judgment in the form of…Syria

                  iv.            Syria came to Jerusalem again with a small army, but God delivered Judah into their hands, allowed Syria to cart off more bounty, and Jehoiada was assassinated by his servants (2 Ch 24.23-25)

5.       King Jehoahaz of Israel

a.        Even harder pressed by Syria than his father Jehu

b.       Continued the evil patterns of his predecessors but called on God for deliverance

                     i.            In his grace, God provided a deliverer (2 Ki 13.5)

                    ii.            Extrabiblical accounts seem to indicate this deliverer was King Adad-nirari III of Assyria

                  iii.            Assyrian pressure on Syria forced them to direct their attention away from Israel

                  iv.            This was the last time Assyria would return to Israel on friendly terms…

c.        Jehoahaz failed to recognize God’s deliverance and failed to turn to him in faith (2 Ki 13.6)

6.       King Jeroboam II of Israel and King Uzziah of Judah

a.        Jeroboam II expanded Israel’s boundaries as far as they were under the reign of Solomon (2 Ki 14.25-28)

                     i.            Jonah predicted this recovery (2 Ki 14.25), which made him very popular

                    ii.            Extrabiblical evidence points to a time of great prosperity and security in Israel

b.       Uzziah developed and expanded Judah’s strength in the south

                     i.            Internationally

1.       Defeated the Philistines and acquired some of their territory

2.       Ammonites paid him tribute

3.       Weaknesses of Edomites and Arabs allowed building program at Elath (on the Red Sea) and allowed Judah to regain territory (2 Ki 14.22)

                    ii.            Domestically

1.       Fortified Jerusalem and equipped army

2.       Increased Judah’s agricultural base (2 Ch 26.9-15)

                  iii.            Spiritually

1.       Began as a faithful follower of Yahweh, but…

2.       Decided to take priestly responsibilities on himself and was struck with leprosy

3.       Separated for the rest of his life from his family and the temple

4.       Because of this, Jotham (his son) was brought on as a co-regent to serve on his behalf

7.       The prophet Jonah (8th cent. BC in the North [and then in Nineveh])

a.        The prophet

                     i.            According to 2 Ki 14.25, Jonah ministered during the reign of Jeroboam II

                    ii.            A time of the Northern Kingdom’s renaissance

                  iii.            Predicted the extension of Israel’s borders

                  iv.            Would have made Jonah a popular prophet…making the call to Nineveh that much harder

b.       This book differs from all other prophetic books in that it is primarily biographical

                     i.            Consistently paints a negative picture of Jonah

                    ii.            Narrative / biographical preaching at its best…the points of the sermon?

1.       Don’t be like Jonah

a.        Nothing wrong with his theology

i.         His view of God is orthodox (cf. 4.2)

ii.        He understands grace…but not completely

b.       His problem is with his heart

i.         He cannot accept the true definition of grace

ii.        He wants to limit God’s activity to those within his myopic world

2.       Understand what God is like

a.        Jonah’s actions are a foil for the primary actor…Yahweh

b.       God’s grace extends to all who receive it in faith, even the Ninevites!

8.       The prophet Amos (8th cent. BC in the North)

a.        The prophet

                     i.            Very limited personal information available on Amos, but we know…

                    ii.            He was a herdsman and cultivator of figs, i.e. a ‘non-professional’

                  iii.            He was from the South but ministered in the North

                  iv.            His theology of God is completely orthodox

                   v.            …three strikes against him in the eyes of the Israelites

b.       Themes of Amos—all develop some aspect of the general theme:  “Prepare to meet your God!” (4.12)

                     i.            Divine sovereignty and judgment

1.       On a personal level (cf. 1.4; 3.2, 14; 9.4)

2.       Over all of creation (cf. 1.1)

3.       In response to immorality (cf. 8.4)

4.       Over political history—the nations as instruments in God’s hands

                    ii.            Follies of idolatry and demand for social justice

1.       Main focus of the book…connected by man as the image of God

2.       Idolatry is folly because:

a.        We could never make an appropriate image representing God’s excellence

b.       It is a rejection of the image God has made in humanity

3.       Social justice is likewise demanded because of man made in God’s image

                  iii.            Covenant and remnant

                  iv.            The ‘Day of the Lord’ as judgment for Israel…held in tension w/ promises of restoration

                   v.            The power and efficacy of the Word of God

c.        Many of these themes are repeated in the NT

                     i.            Idolatry (cf. Acts 9)

                    ii.            Social justice (cf. James)

                  iii.            Inclusion of the Gentiles (cf. Acts 15.16)

9.       The prophet Hosea (8th cent. BC in the North)

a.         The prophet

                     i.            Ministered after Jonah but during the reign of the same king, Jeroboam II

                    ii.            With the exception of Ezekiel, none of the writing prophets exhibits more grief because of their calling

1.       Called on to proclaim an unpopular message to an apostate people

2.       Called to live out his message in painful personal experience

a.        Married a prostitute (picture of Israel)

b.       His wife leaves him

c.        He must win her back by purchasing her from the slave auction block

d.       …all of this a powerful picture of God’s perspective on Israel’s own infidelity

3.       Hosea’s children represent God’s progressive dealings with Israel

a.        Jezreel—‘God sows’ in the sense of judgment…if salvation comes, it will come thru judgment

b.       Lo-ruhama—‘no mercy’ in God’s coming judgment

c.        Lo-ammi—‘not my people’…God will cut off his people Israel

b.       Themes of Hosea—central theme is Israel’s unfaithfulness and God’s call to return to the covenant

                     i.            Chs 1-3:  Illustrates the broken covenant

1.       First time the marriage metaphor appears in the prophets…picked up strongly in the NT

2.       Hope in the face of judgment appears in 1.10-11

3.       References to David in ch 3 cannot be literal…must be seen as Messianic

                    ii.            Chs 4-14:  Explain how the details of chs 1-3 will work out

1.       God’s commitment to his covenant requires him to:

a.        Exact his curse

b.       Restore Israel in keeping with the Abrahamic promise

2.       Major themes—the unfailing covenantal love of God and his covenantal commitment

10.    The Fall of Israel

a.        The last few years of Israel’s existence saw many kings and many assassinations

b.       Spiritually, Israel continued her apostasy, refusing to listen to God’s prophets and failing to return to him

c.        Politically, Assyria began a time of great expansion, under the leadership of Tiglath-pileser III

                     i.            King Menahem raised 50 shekels from each man to pay off Assyria (2 Ki 15.19-20)…some have thought Assyria forced each man to pay the price for a slave to buy his own temporary freedom

                    ii.            Israel and Syria believed together they could face Assyria

1.       Decided to quit paying tribute

2.       Tried to force Judah to join them (cf. events surrounding Is 7), even attacked Judah to get ‘help’

3.       Assyria completely destroyed Syria and annexed northern Israel as a province (2 Ki 15.29, 16.9)

4.       Tiglath-pileser III employed mass deportation of conquered people (vs. killing them) to keep gaining tribute payments from them, dilute nationalism, and remove people from the influence of their gods (which they believed were only regionally powerful…remember!)

                  iii.            King Hoshea began as a puppet of Assyria but revolted when Tiglath-pileser III died

1.       New king (Shalmaneser V) was even stronger and quickly reigned in renegade nations (2 Ki 17.3)

2.       Israel decided to stop paying tribute and appealed to Egypt for help against Assyria

3.       Assyria deported more Israelites to foreign lands (2 Ki 18.11) because of Hoshea’s disloyalty

4.       Revolt resulted in three year siege of Samaria (the capital) and it eventually fell

                  iv.            In 722, Israel ceased to exist

1.       Fulfilling the covenant curses depicted in Leviticus and Deuteronomy

2.       Exiled at the hands of the Assyrians, as prophesied by Ahijah (1 Ki 14.15-16)

3.       Foreign importation resulted in the birth of a new people, the Samaritans (2 Ki 17.24-41)

4.       …but the story was not over!

11.    Judah during Israel’s dying days

a.        King Jotham is viewed as a good king and came to the throne in the year Isaiah received his call to ministry

b.       King Ahaz was brought to power in 735 BC by a pro-Assyrian group who thought it better to pay tribute to Assyria then to suffer the same fate as seemed inevitable for Israel

                     i.            Ahaz was pressured to join Israel and Syria in their rebellion against Assyria

                    ii.            Upon his refusal, Israel and Syria attacked/sieged Jerusalem