Divided Kingdom II Judah Alone Lesson 11 Hezekiahs

Divided Kingdom II; Judah Alone Lesson 11 Hezekiah’s Reforms / Fall of Samaria

Hezekiah prepares Passover Feast (2 Chron. 30: 1 -27) q Hezekiah invites all of Israel and Judah to keep the Passover of the LORD. q He invites them to “return to the LORD” Ø Don’t be like your fathers & brothers…faithless Ø Don’t be stiffnecked Ø Serve God that His fierce anger may turn away from you! Ø You will find compassion with your captors and return to this land Ø God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away His face from you…if you return to Him.

Hezekiah keeps Passover Feast (2 Chron. 30: 1 -27) q “Also the hand of God was on Judah to give them singleness of heart to do the commandments of the king and the leaders, at the word of the LORD. ” (vs. 12) q They slaughtered the Passover lambs on the 14 th day of the 2 nd month q Many ate the Passover contrary to what was written…they hand not cleansed themselves. But Hezekiah prays for them and the LORD listened and healed the people.

Hezekiah keeps Passover Feast (2 Chron. 30: 1 -27) q “So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. Then the priests, the Levites, arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard; and their prayer came up to His holy dwelling place, to heaven. ” (vs. 26 -27)

(Judah) Assembly destroys Idols (2 Kings 18: 4; 2 Chron. 31: 1) q After the feast, the Israelites went into the towns of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh and destroy the idols Ø Ø Destroyed sacred pillars/stones Cut down wooden images / Asherah poles Destroyed various high places Destroyed altars q The people returned to their own cities, to their own homes.

Hezekiah’s Religious Reforms (2 Chron. 31: 2 -21) q The reforms that Hezekiah introduces revolve around the temple service, priestly responsibilities, and offerings. q Necessary part of their spiritual welfare q He appointed priests and Levites in their divisions… Ø Ø For burnt offerings and peace offerings To serve To give thanks To praise in the gates of the camp of the LORD

Hezekiah’s Religious Reforms (2 Chron. 31: 2 -21) q The king provides provisions from his own possessions for the burnt offerings and the set feasts q Commanded the people of Jerusalem to contribute support for the priests and Levites…that they might devote themselves to the Law of the LORD q As soon as the commandment went out, the people contributed in abundance

Hezekiah’s Religious Reforms (2 Chron. 31: 2 -21) q The people continued contributing for 4 -5 months q Hezekiah and the leaders “came and saw the heaps, they blessed the LORD and His people Israel” (vs. 8) q Hezekiah questions the priests and Levites concerning the heaps of goods and Azariah, the chief priest, stated they had enough with plenty left over

Hezekiah’s Religious Reforms (2 Chron. 31: 2 -21) q Hezekiah commands that rooms be prepared in the house of the LORD to keep the abundance of contributions q Hezekiah and Azariah assign overseers from the Levites and priests to distribute the offerings of the LORD… “…for in their faithfulness they sanctified themselves in holiness. ” (vs. 18) “… they were faithful in keeping themselves holy. ” (ESV)

Hezekiah’s Religious Reforms (2 Chron. 31: 2 -21) “Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the LORD his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered. ” 2 Chron. 31: 20 -21

(Historical Note): Ø In Israel, Hoshea continues to reign Ø Assyrian leadership: § Tiglath-Pileser III died in the year 727 B. C. § He is succeeded by his son, Shalmaneser V

(Israel) Fall of Samaria (2 Kings 17: 3 -6) q Shalmaneser king of Assyria makes Hoshea his vassal and forced him to pay tribute money q Shalmaneser uncovers a conspiracy by Hoshea and shuts him up in prison q Shalmaneser goes throughout all the land then besieged Samaria for 3 years before the city fell… 721 years before Christ is born.

(Historical Note): Ø Samaria falls in the 6 th year of Hezekiah’s reign in Judah Ø Assyrian leadership: § Shalmaneser V dies in 722 B. C. § Sargon II comes to the throne of Assyria § Sargon is the son of Tiglath. Pileser III, brother of Shalmaneser V § Took his name from Sargon of Akkad, founder of the Semitic Empire (24 th & 23 rd century B. C. )

(Historical Note): Assyrian Empire

Samaria: Assyrian Province (2 Kings 17: 6; 24 -41) q The people of Samaria are resettled in Halah and by the Habor, the river of Gozan, in the cities of the Medes.

Samaria: Assyrian Province (2 Kings 17: 6; 24 -41) q The people of Samaria are resettled in Halah and by the Habor, the river of Gozan, in the cities of the Medes. q “Then the king of Assryia brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and from Sepharvaim and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel. ” (vs. 24)

Samaria: Assyrian Province (2 Kings 17: 6; 24 -41) q The people of Samaria are resettled in Halah and by the Habor, the river of Gozan, in the cities of the Medes. q “Then the king of Assryia brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and from Sepharvaim and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel. ” (vs. 24) q They “took possession of Samaria”. They did not fear the LORD…therefore the LORD sent lions among them

Samaria: Assyrian Province (2 Kings 17: 6; 24 -41) q The king of Assyria sends one of the priests from Samaria, that was carried away, back to teach them how they should fear the LORD. q However, every nation continued to make gods of its own q “They feared the LORD, yet served their own gods…” (vs. 33)

Samaria: Assyrian Province (2 Kings 17: 6; 24 -41) q The people brought in from foreign lands intermarry with the poor Israelites remaining in the land become the hated race of the Samaritans.

Reasons for Israel’s Fall (2 Kings 17: 7 -18) Ø The people had feared other gods Ø Built high places in all their cities (followed the ways of the nations) Ø Set up sacred pillars and wooden images Ø They burned incense (followed the ways of the nations) Ø They followed the evil way introduced by some of their own kings Ø Went after the nations that were around them Ø Worshipped sacred stones, the Asherah poles, golden calves Ø Sacrifices their own children Ø Practices witchcraft and soothsaying Ø They sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger

Reasons for Israel’s Fall (2 Kings 17: 7 -18) “Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them from His sight; there was none left but the tribe of Judah alone. ” (vs. 18) The end of the Divided Kingdom

Lessons q We need to be faithful in keeping ourselves holy. q When we do anything for God, we must do it with “all our heart”! “And whateveris youworth do, in word or deed, do “Whatever doing at all, everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, is worth doing well. ” giving thanks to God the Father through him. ” Philip Stanhope (Col. 3: 17)