“The Story” – Chapter 16: Beginning of the End of the Kingdom of Israel- January 26, 2014

Zion Lutheran Church and School

Bible References: 2 Kings 17-19, Isaiah 3, 6, 13-14, 49, 53

Key Points

  • God’s patience with Israel – the Northern Kingdom – finally ran out and Assyria scattered the Israelites throughout the region. Israel ceased to exist.
  • Judah – the Southern Kingdom – is spared (for now) as she retains sporadic trust in God.
  • Isaiah gave clear prophesy regarding a Savior, though He won’t arrive for about 700 years.

Chapter Summary

  1. The chapter begins with a short description of Israel's (Northern Kingdom) demise as a political entity after only 200 years of existence. In short:
  2. Israel was a vassal state under Assyria, meaning they were a separate entity but they paid tribute and were expected to be loyal to Assyria.
  3. Israel's King Hoshea did two things which were fatal to Israel:

He stopped paying tribute to Assyria, and

he began making political deals with Egypt.

  • Assyria responded by invading Israel and scatteringher citizens.

The Bible tells us that, "All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God". Specifically, they worshiped other gods, and "did wicked things".

  1. The Southern Kingdom, Judah, continued its existence (for now) at least in part due to the fact that her king, Hezekiah, "did what was right in the eyes of the Lord". King Hezekiah cut down the Asherah poles and destroyed altars to other "gods".
  2. Unlike his counterpart in the Northern Kingdom, Hezekiah refused to serve Assyria so their king sent his Field Commander to ask Hezekiah why and to do so in a mocking manner. In fact, the Commander's speech ended by his asking, "Has any god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?" Clearly this was an insult of YAHWEH.
  3. Hezekiah's response was to pray to the Lord. God answered this prayer through Isaiah. The answer is long - and interesting to read (see p. 223-224) - but in essence God told Hezekiah that He would protect Judah.
  4. How did God carry through His promise? During the night 185,000 Assyrian soldiers died in their sleep. A little later, the Assyrian king’s own sons killed him.
  5. Unfortunately, all did not remain well in Judah and her time was coming to an end. The remainder of the chapter contains strong words of Isaiah's prophesy of Jerusalem’s/Judah's coming destruction. But Isaiah also gave a long and beautiful prophesy of the coming of Jesus. Pages 228-230 have to be read in their entirety as no summary can capture the message of hope.

Additional Informationand Comments

  1. Isaiah’s name means “YAHWEH saves.”
  2. It was during Isaiah’s ministry in Jerusalem that the Northern tribes were scattered and served as an example to Judah. Though she survived (for now) Judah wasn't much better in her relationship to God as Israel fell.Judah continued to practice the rituals of the temple, but they had neither genuine faith nor reverence for God for the most part.
  3. The reason Assyria scattered Israel's people was to destroy any sense of a national identity. This was a common practice for Assyria. In addition to scattering the Israelites, other peoples were brought in to live in the land, further diluting any remnants of Israel. In fact, these and similar people became the Samaritans that Jews of Jesus' day disliked and considered "half breeds".

Discussion

  1. Why did God send the Northern Kingdom into captivity? (See 2 Kings 17:7-17 for details.)
  2. Compare God’s actions against Israel to Moses’ warning in Deut. 28:45-50 and 30:1-5. What do you see?
  3. God frequently reminded Israel of examples of His faithfulness, such as their deliverance from Egypt (p. 219). What past experiences have you had that remind you of God’s faithfulness? (See Romans 8:31)
  4. How have you seen people respond when they receive just consequences for sinful actions?
  5. How should a Christian respond to the consequences of sin and the discipline of God?
  6. King Sennacherib of Assyria sent his envoy to Jerusalem to persuade King Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem to surrender peacefully, claiming he came on the LORD’s orders (p. 221). Isaiah’s message to Hezekiah said otherwise.
  7. Can you think of any examples of a person claiming he or she speaks for or is somehow representing God on earth? (Hint: Many religions falsely claim this.)
  8. How do you evaluate people who claim to have a word from the LORD? (Hint: The Bible tells us how to discern whether or not something is of God.)
  9. What is King Hezekiah’s view of YAHWEH the God of Israel (p. 223)?
  10. How does this right understanding of God help resolve Hezekiah's troubles?
  11. What about the vision of God in the temple made Isaiah realize that he was a sinner? (p.224-225)
  12. Compare Isaiah’s response with Peter's in Luke 5:8 and John's in Rev. 1:17.
  13. How are they similar? Different?
  14. What picture of God is painted by these three responses?
  15. According to Isaiah’s prophecy (p. 225-226), what was the Southern Kingdom of Judah like?
  16. What did he say that God would do as a result?
  17. Isaiah’s prophecy predicted punishment and captivity for Judah, as well as return and restoration (p. 227-228). How did Zion (Jerusalem and Judah) react to this message?
  18. With input from the group, have someone list the qualities of the Suffering Servant (p. 228-230). (See Matthew 8:16-17, 26:63-67; 1 Peter 2:22-25; Romans 5:19; Luke 22:37 for further insights.)

For Next Week

  1. When Assyria seemed about to conquer Jerusalem, King Hezekiah prayed and God saved Jerusalem. Do you have any problems which seem insurmountable? If so, take them to God in trusting prayer.
  2. Throughout the week thank God for not abandoning humankind during the dark times described in chapter 16. God had a plan to bring a Savior through David's line and His plan was carried out to our great benefit!