Friday 2021.08.13
Today is Preparation Day, the Sixth Day of the Biblical Week. It is a day of bringing to completion all tasks for this week in preparation to rest for the weekly Seventh Day Sabbath which will begin at sunset this evening.
This afternoon I read Second Kings chapters fifteen through seventeen in the OT. This portion of scripture records the accounts of the last six kings of Israel and another two kings of Judah. The last king of Israel ruling from Samaria was King Hoshea when eventually Samaria fell to the Assyrian forces led by King Shalmaneser. The fall of Samaria during the ninth year of the reign of King Hoshea is mentioned twice: once in 2 Kings 17:5 and again in 2 Kings 18:9 - 12
2 Kings 17:5, 6 GNB
5 Then Shalmaneser invaded Israel and besieged Samaria. In the third year of the siege, 6 which was the ninth year of the reign of Hoshea, the Assyrian emperor captured Samaria, took the Israelites to Assyria as prisoners, and settled some of them in the city of Halah, some near the River Habor in the district of Gozan, and some in the cities of Media.
2 Kings 18:9 - 11 GNB
9 In the fourth year of Hezekiah's reign — which was the seventh year of King Hoshea's reign over Israel — Emperor Shalmaneser of Assyria invaded Israel and besieged Samaria. 10 In the third year of the siege, Samaria fell; this was the sixth year of Hezekiah's reign, and the ninth year of Hoshea's reign. 11 The Assyrian emperor took the Israelites to Assyria as prisoners and settled some of them in the city of Halah, some near the River Habor in the district of Gozan, and some in the cities of Media.
The last six kings of Israel recorded in 2 Kings 15 to 17 are as follows:
- Zechariah ben Jeroboam ben Jehoash (2 years)
- Shallum ben Jabesh (1 month)
- Menahem ben Gadi (10 years)
- Pekahiah ben Menahem (2 years)
- Pekah ben Remaliah (20 years)
- Hoshea ben Elah (9 years)
Another two kings of Judah recorded in today's portion of OT scripture are:
- Jotham ben Uzziah (16 years)
- Ahaz ben Jotham (16 years)
Of all the kings of Israel and Judah described in today's scripture, only King Jotham ben Uzziah of Judah was a good king. All the others were evil kings who departed from the LORD to worship idols.
