Hoshea the Last King of Israel
In the twelfth year of the reign of Ahaz over Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria nine years. 2Ki 15:30 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him. 2Ch 30:5-112Ki 10:312Ki 13:112Ki 13:22Ki 15:182Ki 15:242Ki 15:92Ki 3:2
Shalmaneser king of Assyria attacked him, and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute. Hos 10:142Ki 15:192Ki 15:292Ki 16:7-82Ki 18:312Ki 18:9-162Ki 19:36-372Sa 8:2 But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea had conspired to send envoys to King So 1of Egypt, and that he had not paid tribute to the king of Assyria as in previous years. Therefore the king of Assyria arrested Hoshea and put him in prison. 2Ch 32:112Ki 18:14-152Ki 18:212Ki 24:12Ki 24:202Ki 25:7Ezk 17:13-19Isa 31:1-3
Israel Carried Captive to Assyria
Then the king of Assyria invaded the whole land, marched up to Samaria, and besieged it for three years. Hos 13:162Ki 18:92Ki 25:1-3Jer 52:4-5
In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried away the Israelites to Assyria, where he settled them in Halah, in Gozan by the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes. Hos 13:161Ch 5:26Deu 28:642Ki 18:10-11Amo 5:27Deu 28:36Deu 29:27-28Isa 13:17
All this happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They had worshiped other gods Jos 23:16Exo 20:2Jdg 2:14-17Jer 10:5Neh 9:26Psa 106:35-411Ki 11:42Ch 36:14-16 and walked in the customs of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites, as well as in the practices introduced by the kings of Israel. 2Ki 16:3Deu 18:9Lev 18:31Ki 12:281Ki 16:31-331Ki 21:262Ki 16:102Ki 17:19
The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city, they built high places in all their cities. 2Ki 18:8Deu 13:6Deu 27:15Ezk 8:12Hos 12:11Job 31:27 They set up for themselves sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree. 1Ki 14:23Mic 5:142Ki 16:4Exo 34:13Deu 12:2-3Deu 16:21Isa 57:5Lev 26:1 They burned incense on all the high places like the nations that the LORD had driven out before them. They did wicked things, provoking the LORD to anger. 1Ki 13:12Ch 28:252Ki 21:6Jer 44:17Psa 78:56-58 They served idols, although the LORD had told them, “You shall not do this thing.” 2 Deu 12:4Deu 4:15-19Deu 4:23-25Deu 5:7-9Exo 20:3-5Exo 34:14Lev 26:1
Yet through all His prophets and seers, the LORD warned Israel and Judah, saying, “Turn from your wicked ways and keep My commandments and statutes, according to the entire Law that I commanded your fathers and delivered to you through My servants the prophets.” 1Sa 9:9Jer 35:15Jer 18:11Deu 31:21Neh 9:29-301Ch 29:291Sa 12:7-152Ch 36:15-16
But they would not listen, and they stiffened their necks like their fathers, who did not believe the LORD their God. Act 7:51Deu 31:272Ch 36:13Deu 1:32Exo 32:9Heb 3:12Heb 3:7-8Isa 48:4 They rejected His statutes and the covenant He had made with their fathers, as well as the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and themselves became worthless, going after the surrounding nations that the LORD had commanded them not to imitate. Deu 12:30-31Deu 32:21Jer 2:5Rom 1:21-231Ki 16:13Exo 24:6-8Jer 8:9Psa 115:8
They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves two cast idols of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the host of heaven and served Baal. 1Ki 12:281Ki 14:151Ki 14:231Ki 16:31Deu 4:191Ki 15:131Ki 16:331Ki 22:53 They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire 3and practiced divination and soothsaying. They devoted themselves to doing evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger. 2Ki 21:62Ki 16:3Deu 18:10-12Ezk 23:371Ki 21:20Psa 106:37-38Ezk 20:26Lev 18:21
So the LORD was very angry with Israel, and He removed them from His presence. Only the tribe of Judah remained, 1Ki 11:131Ki 12:201Ki 11:321Ki 11:36Deu 32:21-26Hos 11:122Ki 23:27Hos 9:3 and even Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but lived according to the customs Israel had introduced. 1Ki 14:22-232Ki 16:32Ch 21:112Ch 21:13Ezk 16:51-52Jer 3:8-112Ki 8:182Ki 8:27 So the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel. He afflicted them and delivered them into the hands of plunderers, until He had banished them from His presence. 2Ki 15:292Ki 13:3Jer 6:301Ch 16:131Sa 15:231Sa 15:261Sa 16:12Ch 28:5-6
When the LORD had torn Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat king, and Jeroboam led Israel away from following the LORD and caused them to commit a great sin. 1Ki 11:111Ki 11:311Ki 12:28-301Ki 14:16Isa 7:171Ki 12:19-201Ki 14:81Sa 2:17 The Israelites persisted in all the sins that Jeroboam had committed and did not turn away from them. 2Ki 10:292Ki 10:312Ki 13:112Ki 13:22Ki 13:62Ki 15:92Ki 3:3 Finally, the LORD removed Israel from His presence, as He had declared through all His servants the prophets. So Israel was exiled from their homeland into Assyria, where they are to this day. 2Ki 17:62Ki 17:131Ki 14:162Ki 17:202Ki 18:11-12Amo 5:27Hos 1:4-91Ki 13:2
Samaria Resettled
Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its towns. 2Ki 18:342Ki 17:30-312Ki 19:13Mat 10:51Ki 8:652Ch 33:112Ki 17:62Ki 18:31
Now when the settlers first lived there, they did not worship the LORD, so He sent lions among them, which killed some of them. 2Ki 17:322Ki 17:342Ki 17:411Ki 13:241Ki 20:362Ki 17:282Ki 2:24Dan 6:26 So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The peoples that you have removed and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the requirements of the God of the land. Because of this, He has sent lions among them, which are indeed killing them off.” 1Sa 10:251Sa 8:92Ki 17:27Amo 8:14
Then the king of Assyria commanded: “Send back one of the priests you carried off from Samaria, and have him go back to live there and teach the requirements of the God of the land.” 1Ki 12:311Ki 13:22Ch 11:15Jdg 17:13
Thus one of the priests they had carried away came and lived in Bethel, and he began to teach them how they should worship the LORD. 1Ki 12:29-32Isa 29:13Mat 15:14
Nevertheless, the people of each nation continued to make their own gods in the cities where they had settled, and they set them up in the shrines that the people of Samaria had made on the high places. 1Ki 12:31Mic 4:51Ki 13:32Hos 8:5-6Isa 44:9-20Jer 10:3-5Psa 115:4-8Psa 135:15-18 The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, 2Ki 17:24 the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech the gods of the Sepharvaim. 2Ki 17:242Ki 17:172Ki 19:37Deu 12:28Deu 12:31Ezr 4:9Lev 18:21
So the new residents worshiped the LORD, but they also appointed for themselves priests of all sorts to serve in the shrines of the high places. 1Ki 12:312Ki 17:291Ki 13:332Ki 23:19Zep 1:51Ki 13:31 They worshiped the LORD, but they also served their own gods according to the customs of the nations from which they had been carried away. 2Ki 17:41Luk 16:13Mat 6:241Ki 18:21Zep 1:5Hos 10:2
To this day they are still practicing their former customs. None of them worship the LORD or observe the statutes, ordinances, laws, and commandments that the LORD gave the descendants of Jacob, whom He named Israel. Gen 32:28Gen 35:101Ki 18:312Ki 17:252Ki 17:27-282Ki 17:33Isa 48:11Ki 11:31
For the LORD had made a covenant with the Israelites and commanded them, “Do not worship other gods or bow down to them; do not serve them or sacrifice to them. Jdg 6:10Deu 4:23-27Exo 20:4-5Exo 34:12-17Jos 23:16Jos 23:72Ki 17:15Deu 13:1-18 Instead, worship the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm. You are to bow down to Him and offer sacrifices to Him. Exo 6:6Deu 6:13Exo 9:15Lev 19:32Act 4:30Deu 10:20Deu 12:11-12Deu 12:5-6 And you must always be careful to observe the statutes, ordinances, laws, and commandments He wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. Deu 12:32Deu 4:44-45Deu 5:31Lev 19:37Neh 9:13-14Deu 31:9Psa 105:44-451Ch 29:19 Do not forget the covenant I have made with you. Do not worship other gods, Deu 4:23Deu 6:12Deu 8:14-18 but worship the LORD your God, and He will deliver you from the hands of all your enemies.” 1Sa 12:24Luk 1:74-752Ki 17:36Jer 10:7Luk 1:50Mat 10:28Neh 9:27Isa 8:12-14
But they would not listen, and they persisted in their former customs. 2Ki 17:122Ki 17:342Ki 17:8Deu 4:28Jer 13:23 So these nations worshiped the LORD but also served their idols, and to this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their fathers did. Mat 6:241Ki 18:21Zep 1:52Ki 17:32-33Jos 24:14-20Ezr 4:1-3Rev 3:15-16