Hoshea & Zedekiah The Final Kings
Plutarch s Lives
Tiglath Pileser III Rezin Pekah Ahaz Syro-Ephraimatic War
Hoshea the Puppet Ruler Tiglath Pileser III takes the land east of the Jordan Makes Hoshea the new King of Israel Hoshea is his vassal just like Ahaz is Hoshea supposed to be Tiglath s puppet ruling Israel for him
Assyria Media Babylon Egypt Fall of Assyria & Rise of Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar Jehoiakim Egypt First Babylon Siege of Jerusalem
Zedekiah the Puppet Ruler Young King Jehoiachin taken into Exile (along with Ezekiel & many thousands more) Nebuchadnezzar make Mattaniah (Jehoiachin s uncle) King Renames him Zedekiah Zedekiah a very weak King All the best talent in Judah are now in Exile in Babylon!
Their Lives Hosea Became King after a disastrous war Never in line for throne Tiglath made him King Assyrian vassal Weak compared to his predecessors Zedekiah Became King after a disastrous war Never in line for the throne Nebuchadnezzar made him King Babylonian vassal Weak compared to his predecessors
Prophetic Voice to Hoshea No active prophet in his court But Hosea, Amos, & Jonah had been active a generation before Hosea & Amos had told Israel that the Assyrians are YHWH s judgment on Israel for their idolatry & injustice But both also gave (much smaller) messages of hope in returning to YHWH & submitting to his judgment Amos tells them that their hope lies in the house of David
Prophetic Voice to Zedekiah Jeremiah was still active in Zedekiah s reign His message to the King was submit to Babylon rule, it is from YHWH But there was hope in judgment, the Exiles would return (but only after 70 years!) Hope now was in the New Covenant YHWH would make with Israel And the new Davidic King
Their Response Hoshea Did not submit to Assyria Turned to Egypt for help Rebelled against Assyria when Tiglath died Zedekiah Did not submit to Babylon Turned to Egypt for help Rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar
The Tragedy of Kings The Kings of Israel bowed to the Nations And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. Ezekiel 26:23 YHWH was the true King of Israel you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation Exodus 19:5-6
YHWH s Priests Blaspheming His Name Solomon s many marriage alliances Asa paying tribute to Aram Omri making an alliance with Phoenicia Ahab & Jezebel Jehoshaphat making an alliance with Ahab Jehoram & Athaliah Jehu pays tribute to Assyria Ahaz becoming vassal of Assyria Menahem pays tribute to Assyria Hezekiah showing Temple treasure to Babylonian Envoys Manasseh vassal of Assyria
Their Judgment Hoshea Shalmanezzar V invades Israel Samaria besieged Hoshea captured Sargon II the new King Samaria falls Israel taken into Exile & scattered Zedekiah Nebuchadnezzar invades Judah Jerusalem besieged Egyptian army defeated Zedekiah captured Jerusalem falls More Exiles taken to Babylon
Fallen Messiahs Hoshea & Zedekiah (and ultimately all the Kings of Israel & judah) had failed in their duty The Shepherds of Israel did not lead them to YHWH They led them to the nations and so to Exile They did not listen to the Prophets or the Torah They broke the Covenant and so fell
A Little Bit of Hope Jehoiachin is released from prison in Babylon Given a seat of honour at the King s table The Son of David is free His grandson Zerubbabel 20 years later led the Jews back to Jerusalem
The True Messiah The Shepherd who led his people back to YHWH The Son of David The King of Kings Our King
Jesus the King The Son of David (Jewish expression) By the Spirit Jewish expression Messiah Jesus is King of the Jews Jesus Raised from the dead CHRIST THE LORD The Son of God (Gentile expression) By the Spirit Gentile expression Dominus Jesus is King of the Gentiles