Old Testament Survey –
The Northern Kingdom (Israel) & Her Prophets
The two Kingdoms of Israel split under the leadership of Rehoboam and Jeroboam.
Rehoboam – Became King over Judah (Southern Kingdoms)
Jeroboam – Became king over Israel (Ephriam)- Northern Kingdoms
There were 20 kings that served the Northern Kingdom – None of them were righteous
The Kingdom began from the death of Solomon to the Fall of Israel to Samaria.
During these kings reigns several Prophets ministered to the Nation for God.
Kings of Israel Prophets of Northern Kingdom- Israel
1. Jeroboam I 11. Jehu 1. Elijah – 1 Kings 17
2. Nadab 12. Jehoahaz 2. Elisha – 1 Kings 19
3. Baasha 13. Jehoash 3. Micaiah – 1 Kings 22:17
4. Elah 14. Jeroboam 2 4. Jonah – Book of Jonah
5. Zimri 15. Zechariah 5. Amos - Book of Amos
6. Zibni 16. Shallum 6. Hosea – Book of Hosea
7. Omri 17. Menaham
8. Ahab 18. Pekahiah
9. Ahaziah (Uzziah) 19. Pekah
10. Jehoram (Joram) 20. Hosea
Why the Kingdom split-
The infiltration of pagan forms of worship during Solomon’s reign had weakened the greatest bond between the northern and southern tribes – worship of Jehovah
Solomon had placed heavy taxes on the people to build his buildings and had instituted forced labor. Jealousy was caused because the majority of the buildings were placed in the south in Jerusalem.
Rehoboam – increased the taxation above Solomon’s
Baalism became a high form of worship in Israel.
What the Kingdom looked like:
The kingdom had come under strong wicked influence from the kings and false priest of Israel. Baalism and murder had become the norm of the society and its political leaders.
Elijah & Elisha and Micaiah all lived and prophesied against the house of Ahab and Jezebel. Micaiah prophesied King Ahab’s death as well as Elijah and both were fulfilled in the war with Syria.
His sons Jehoram and Ahaziah both reigned in his stead and were killed. Ahaziah fell to his death and Jehu killed Jehoram and finally killed Jezebel.
Jonah and his ministry (The Book of Jonah)
Author: is unknown
Jonah is one of the first prophets whose story or book was written.
He is listed with the minor prophets’ books of the bible (32nd book of the OT)
Jonah was a Galilean from Nazareth
The book of Jonah has no direct message to Israel but is a symbolic rebuke to the Jews against racism
Time Frame of Ministry in the Northern Kingdom
Jonah began his ministry right after the death of Elisha during the reign of Jeroboam 2.
His ministry was solely to the 10 tribes of the nation Israel
Gad
Issachar
Manasseh
Simeon
Zebulon
Dan
Naphtali
Rueben
Ephriam
Asher
Overview:
Jonah was called to be a prophet and assigned by God to go preach in Nineveh.
Nineveh was the capitol of the Assyrian empire which had been plaguing the Israel nation
God had prophesied through Elisha of the destruction of Israel through the Assyrians.
Jonah is called by God to go preach against the Assyrians sins. Jonah runs from God and doesn’t want to speak to the Assyrians. He gets on a ship and the encounter a storm of which the whole ship would perish. Jonah confesses sin and gets thrown over board.
He is swallowed by the whale for the three days and then spit out upon the shores of Nineveh.
( Read pages 83-84) documented proof of being swallowed by the whale in Through the bible book by book – Myer Pearlman - author.
Jonah’s story reveals the mercy of God towards the gentiles as Nineveh repents and turns towards God.
The main message found in Jonah’s story is that the Jews had become exclusive in their thinking about being a chosen race and that God was opening the story of himself up to the gentiles. (Jesus himself refers to Jonah being a type of Christ)
Out Line of Jonah’s message
1. Repent from Sin 2. God’s love towards the Gentiles 3. Need for Obedience
Amos - (The book of Amos) – Burden Bearer
Author: Amos himself
Amos lived in a small town called Tekoa about 6 miles from Bethlehem.
Amos was a Sheepherder (7:14).
Amos prophesied the same time as Hosea
Amos prophesied during King Uzziah’s Reign and the latter part of King Jeroboam 2nds reign approximately 60-80 years before the captivity of Israel.
Amos prophesied mostly from Bethel during his life. The center of worship in Israel
Because of Amos being originally from the southern kingdoms of Judah, his prophecies were rather hard at times on the northern Kingdoms for their sins against Jehovah.
Amos prophesied against Israel’s 10 tribes and the surrounding nations.
Surrounding nations, he spoke against were as well as Israel
Edom
Ammon
Moab
Syria
Philistia
Phoenicia
Judah
Israel
The people of Israel were highly religious but corrupt. They would pack out the temples of Bethel and Gilgal that had been built but their moral life had so decade that it told of their sins.
Amos condemns Israel for taking advantage of Jehovah’s Favor and turning toward sin. He pronounces the harsh judgment of Jehovah upon them for their sin is worse than the pagan nations. For they had walked with God and had forsaken him were the surrounding nations had never known God.
Outline of Amos messages;
Judgment of the surrounding nations
Judgment of Israel
Restoration of Israel
Amos prophecies were – The message of Judgment and restoration to follow.
Through Amos & Hosea’s writing we can see the clear condition and prosperity of Israel. Israel was so prospering under the rule of Jeroboam that it increased the materialism & greed of the nation. The rich were strongly inflicting the poor.
Amos was not well received due the nature of his words and the fact that he was from the southern tribes of Judah.
Hosea – The book of Hosea – (Salvation)
Author: Hosea
Hosea was from the northern tribes of Israel
First Minor prophet book of the OT – Called Minor Prophets not because of content but the size of writing about the prophet.
Prophesied the same time as Amos + Isaiah and Micah in Judah.
Outline of Hosea
Unfaithful wife (spiritual adultery) separation
The Sinful Nation (condemnation)
Restored Nation – Restoration
Overview of Hosea’s Ministry
Prophesied in Israel for almost 60 years. – The longest of all the prophets
Unlike Amos who was very hard on Israel- Hosea had a much softer heart for his people even in their sin.
Hosea became the expression of Christ as his name reflected – God is Salvation
Through out Hosea he strongly promotes the idea of repentance to Israel for leaving the lord in which they had taken sacred vows of Follow ship.
God had Hosea marry (Gomer) a prostitute to symbolize the adultery of Israel towards himself. He married Gomer who was of questionable reputation and she left Hosea and was sold into slavery.
Hosea redeems her out of slavery with the cost of his own possessions and brings her back to himself and has three sons with her
The three children represent the heart of God towards Israel in the time of their history
Jezreel- God will Scatter
Lo-ruhammah – Not Pitied
Lo Ammi – Not my People
The heart of Hosea’s Life and Message was that Jehovah’s Love for his Idolatrous bride. Hosea was forth showing in Gods love more so than Amos in that he for told of Israel’s sin, judgment but their return as a nation to a faithful God.
Hosea prophesied the same time as Jeroboam 2 reign. After 50-60 years of the nation living under evil leadership the life style had become normal
The kings and priest were murderers
The nation was deep into Idolatry
And when the nation was in trouble the relied on foreign kings to protect them instead of God
The picture of Hosea and Gomer represent the heart of Jehovah and his wayward Bride Israel. Even though they had departed his overwhelming love kept drawing him back to them.
The cry of Hosea to Israel is your sin is far worse than the foreign nations because you have vowed to God at Sinai and in covenants to be his people. And you have broken Covenant with God. There for you are like a wife that has forsaken her home. But God is willing to grant mercy if Israel will but Repent!