The history of the Northern Kingdom of Israel is a history shrouded with a sad reality of how wicked and bent towards evil the human heart is. It’s a history that portrays how power and its allurements corrupts the human heart, hence it’s a sound warning for those who desire to possess power.
My focus in this article will be the Northern Kingdom of Israel
hence I will majorly mention the kings of the North. This is after Solomon’s
reign had ended and the kingdom was split into two, the Northern Kingdom of
Israel under Jeroboam son of Nebat and the Southern Kingdom of Judah under the
lineage of David starting with Rehoboam son of Solomon.
The man Solomon was handed over a very strong kingdom. United by his father David, who was a man after God’s own heart1. In 1 Kings 11, the Bible gives a summary of Solomon’s failure, which was steered by his love for women, and especially women that God had warned Israel not to intermarry with. These women drove Solomon’s heart away from God and he ended up serving foreign gods in his old age and as a result God divided the United Kingdom of Israel into two.
Jeroboam son Nebat
The Northern Kingdom was handed to Jeroboam son Nebat who
was not a descendant of David. He was a gifted leader under Solomon, who
Solomon took notice of in his tender age. Solomon made him his overseer over
public works in Jerusalem and later over revenue collection.
The prophet Ahijah, having been sent by God, appointed
Jeroboam to be king over the ten tribes of Israel, at that time Solomon was
still king. The young man Jeroboam “was elevated by the words of the prophet,
and being a young man of warm temper, and ambitious of greatness, he could not
be quiet but tried to get the government into his hands at once”2. The plot failed, he
escaped to Egypt and stayed there until Solomon died. When he came back,
Rehoboam son of Solomon was in power. Rehoboam, due to his dictatorial desire
to rule with an iron fist, lost the 10 tribes of Israel to Jeroboam who became
the first king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
On his appointment as king by prophet Ahijah, God had
promised him a lasting dynasty if only he would follow the commandments of God
and follow after the footsteps of David3.
Sadly enough, after he had been crowned king over Israel, he decided that the
10 tribes of Israel if left to go to worship at the temple in Jerusalem, would
soon switch allegiance to the King of Judah and probably thereafter murder him
and take his throne. Therefore after consulting with his close aids, he ordered
that two golden calves be erected at Bethel and at the region occupied by the
tribe of Dan. He dedicated them and declared to the people of Israel that those
calves were their gods which brought them from their bondage in Egypt4.
He further took upon himself the responsibility of appointing priests from
whichever caliber of people he desired, a calling which was solely set apart by
God for the tribe of Levi.
From Jeroboam’s decision, Israel was set on course towards her destruction. It is Jeroboam who is credited with leading the kingdom of
Israel away from God. Throughout the books of Kings, you see his name being
mentioned as a standard of moral depravity and failure. He ruled Israel for 22
years, died and was succeeded by his son Nadab.
Nadab
Nadab’s reign was a short period of two years. He was murdered
by his successor, Baasha the son of Ahijah. In his short biography, in the book
of 1 Kings, it is said that he did evil in the eyes of God and walked in the
way of his father Jeroboam. He fanned the sinful flame ignited by his father.
Since God had pronounced judgment upon the house of Jeroboam, every member of
his family was killed.
Baasha
When Baasha took power, he destroyed the house of Jeroboam,
probably he did this to secure his reign but he fulfilled God’s judgment upon
the house of Jeroboam. He reigned in Israel for 24 years and his summary is
that he also did evil in the eyes of God same as Jeroboam did. He died having
been prophesied against and against his posterity simply because he followed
the ways of Jeroboam. He was succeeded by his son Elah.
Elah
Elah ruled for only two years and was murdered by Zimri, one
of his captains, while drunk. He was succeeded by Zimri.
Zimri
As soon as Zimri took power, he murdered, all the male
members of the house of Baasha in order to secure his dominion. Zimri ruled for
a very brief period of 7 days and having been surrounded by Omri, the commander
who was proclaimed king by Israel, he committed suicide by burning himself up
in the palace. He was succeeded by Omri.
Omri
In his initial stage of reigning, Omri had an opponent by
the name of Tibni son of Ginath who also desired the throne. Omri overpowered
him and went on to rule the Northern Kingdom of Israel for 12 years. Omri is
credited with buying a hill from Shemer where he built a city and named it Samaria, a name derived from Shemer the name of the owner of the
hill. The Bible states that he did evil in the eyes of God and sinned more than
those before him. He completely followed after the ways of Jeroboam son of
Nebat.
Ahab
Omri was succeeded by his son Ahab. Ahab’s capital was in
Samaria. He ruled Israel for 22 years. He is said to have done much evil than
those before him. He not only committed the sins of Jeroboam passionately, but
also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, who worshipped
Baal reverently. As a result, Ahab became a servant and worshiper of Baal. He
built a temple for Baal at Samaria and set up it’s alter. During his time,
Elijah the prophet, constantly opposed him and as a result, the prophet lived a fugitive
life. Ahab tried to completely abolish the worship of Yahweh by killing all the
prophets of Yahweh he could find. Ahab died in battle and was succeeded by his
son Ahaziah.
Ahazia
Ahaziah reigned in Israel for 12 years. He was also evil but
not as evil as his predecessors. He was killed by Jehu, the axe of God, and his
body thrown to the field of Naboth which his father Ahab had stolen from Naboth
after conspiring against and murdering him. He was succeeded by Jehu.
Jehu
Jehu was a commander in the army of Israel. He was anointed to
be king by Elisha’s servant who was sent by Elisha. His mission was to destroy
the house of Ahab. He destroyed it as commanded by God and also destroyed the
worship of Baal in Israel and God commended him for that. Due to Jehu’s
obedient beginning, God promised him that his descendants would rule to the
fourth generation. He is the only king of the Northern Kingdom who had a slight
inclination towards God. Although he was inclined towards God, his heart was not
completely sold out to God, he still clung to the sin of Jeroboam, worshipping
of the curved calves. He reigned for 28 years and was succeeded by his son
Jehoahaz.
Jehoahaz
Jehoahaz reigned for 16 years and did evil in the eyes of
God. He did not turn away from the sin of Jeroboam. He died and was succeeded
by his son Jeroboam II.
Jeroboam II
Jeroboam II reigned for 41 years. He did evil in the eyes of
God and emulated Jeroboam son of Nebat who led Israel away from God. He was
succeeded by his son Zachariah.
Zachariah
Zachariah reigned in Israel for 6 months, so as to fulfill
God’s promise to Jehu that his descendants would rule to the fourth generation.
He did evil in the eyes of God. He did not turn away from the sin of Jeroboam
son of Nebat. He was attacked in front of the people by Shallum son of Jabesh,
who murdered him and succeeded him.
Shallum son of Jabesh
Shallum reigned for one month and was assassinated by Manahem
son of Gadi, who also succeeded him.
Manahem
Manahem reigned for 10 years. He did evil before God. In his
entire reign, he did not turn away from the sin of Jeroboam son of Nebat. It
was during his reign that the king of Assyria, Pul (Tiglath-Pileser) attacked Israel
and Mahanem paid him tribute and was left to rule5. He was succeeded by his son Pekahiah.
Pekahiah
Pekahiah reigned for two years. He did evil in the eyes of
God. He did not turn away from the sin of Jeroboam son of Nebat. He was
conspired against and assassinated by his officials and was succeeded by Pekah
son of Ramaliah.
Pekah
Pekah reigned for 20 years and did evil in the eyes of God.
He never walked away from the sin of Jeroboam son of Nebat. It was during his
reign that Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria deported some of the Israelites
from Samaria to Assyria. He was assassinated by Hoshea son of Elah and thereby
succeeded.
Hoshea
Hoshea was the last king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
He was evil but not as evil as his predecessors. He was a vassal of the king of
Assyria but when Shalmanesser discovered that he had sent envoys to the king of
Egypt (for Egypt and Babylon were raising as a super powers while Assyria was
starting to decline) he laid siege over Samaria for 3 years and captured it. He
deported all the inhabitants to Assyria and thereby ended the Northern Kingdom
of Israel. The 10 tribes were assimilated into Assyria and thereby lost their
identity, completely erased from history. The bible gives a sad summary of
what led God to desert his children in 2Kings 17:7
2Ki 17:7 And this occurred because the people of Israel had
sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of
Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other
gods
2Ki 17:8 and walked in the customs of the nations whom the LORD
drove out before the people of Israel, and in the customs that the kings of
Israel had practiced.
2Ki 17:9 And the people of Israel did secretly against the LORD
their God things that were not right. They built for themselves high places in
all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city.
2Ki 17:10 They set up for themselves pillars and Asherim on every
high hill and under every green tree,
2Ki 17:11 and there they made offerings on all the high places,
as the nations did whom the LORD carried away before them. And they did wicked
things, provoking the LORD to anger,
2Ki 17:12 and they served idols, of which the LORD had said to
them, “You shall not do this.”
2Ki 17:13 Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah by every prophet
and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and
my statutes, in accordance with all the Law that I commanded your fathers, and
that I sent to you by my servants the prophets.”
2Ki 17:14 But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their
fathers had been, who did not believe in the LORD their God.
2Ki 17:15 They despised his statutes and his covenant that he
made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after
false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around
them, concerning whom the LORD had commanded them that they should not do like
them.
2Ki 17:16 And they abandoned all the commandments of the LORD
their God, and made for themselves metal images of two calves; and they made an
Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal.
2Ki 17:17 And they burned their sons and their daughters as
offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the
sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger.
2Ki 17:18 Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and
removed them out of his sight. None was left but the tribe of Judah only.
2Ki 17:19 Judah also did not keep the commandments of the LORD
their God, but walked in the customs that Israel had introduced.
2Ki 17:20 And the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel and
afflicted them and gave them into the hand of plunderers, until he had cast
them out of his sight.
2Ki 17:21 When he had torn Israel from the house of David, they made
Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. And Jeroboam drove Israel from following the
LORD and made them commit great sin.
2Ki 17:22 The people of Israel walked in all the sins that
Jeroboam did. They did not depart from them,
2Ki 17:23 until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he
had spoken by all his servants the prophets. So Israel was exiled from their
own land to Assyria until this day.
It is a sad reality to know that the 10 tribes were lost due
to sin. These things are written so that we can learn from them, for he who
repudiates the past is prone to repeat its mistakes.
References
1 1 Samuel 13:14
2 Josephus Ant, VIII, vii, 8
3 1 Kings 11:38
4 1 Kings 12:26-29
5 2 Kings 15: 11
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