1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:05,280 Speaker 1: Let us pray, but the Lord your God, ye shall fear. 2 00:00:06,280 --> 00:00:08,840 Speaker 1: Then he shall deliver you out of the hand of 3 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:16,120 Speaker 1: all your enemies. Second King seventeen thirty nine. Lord, because 4 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:19,799 Speaker 1: you have created me to live in freedom, I will 5 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 1: not hand the keys of my life over to ungodly 6 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: relationships and traditions so that I remain captive to their 7 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:32,159 Speaker 1: harmful and manipulative tactics. I will not be immersed in 8 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:36,199 Speaker 1: evil like the children of Israel. I will not go 9 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:39,640 Speaker 1: into a cycle of unfaithfulness because of a false promise 10 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:45,280 Speaker 1: of abundance. Even if I fall, I will be quick 11 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 1: to call on your name to deliver me and bring 12 00:00:48,479 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 1: me to a place of rest and restoration. No matter 13 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 1: what the situation looks like. I will remind myself that 14 00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:01,360 Speaker 1: you are never too far. I will remind myself that 15 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:06,720 Speaker 1: you are just to forgive and to forget my shortcomings 16 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:10,679 Speaker 1: when others seek to take advantage of my vulnerable moments 17 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 1: and mistakes. I thank you Lord for sending people in 18 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:18,640 Speaker 1: my life like the lions of Second King seventeen who 19 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 1: will roar and fight on my behalf. Today I confess 20 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 1: that the hooks of the enemy are being removed from 21 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 1: my mouth and that I will speak your praises for 22 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 1: the rest of my life. Lord in Jesus' name. Amen, 23 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:43,480 Speaker 1: Thanks for making prayer a priority in your life to 24 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 1: hear the Bible come to life. Stay tuned for the 25 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 1: Bible in a Year brought to you by Bible in 26 00:01:49,520 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 1: a Year dot Com. 27 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:06,920 Speaker 2: Israel's sin and punishment. In our last story, we learned 28 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:11,200 Speaker 2: about the wicked King AHAs he ruled Judah with idolatry 29 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 2: and evil. His twisted practices and unstable mind made Judah 30 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 2: vulnerable to attack. Now we learn about the tragedy of Israel. 31 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 2: Its walls would crumble, its cities would burn, and its 32 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:26,960 Speaker 2: people would suffer. We witnessed the downfall of Israel as 33 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:31,600 Speaker 2: people are carted away like cattle to the slaughter. Naked, afflicted, 34 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:36,000 Speaker 2: and alone. Israel still clings to its idolatry. Inspired by 35 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 2: the Book of Second Kings. 36 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 3: Thank you for joining us for today's episode of the 37 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:45,880 Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. This is Jack Graham. In 38 00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:49,400 Speaker 3: our previous episode, we heard about King a Has and 39 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 3: his complete rebellion against God. He did despicable things, killing 40 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:58,040 Speaker 3: his own children to sacrifice to pagan gods. A Has 41 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 3: suffered God's judgment. As Syria and Israel both went to 42 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:05,600 Speaker 3: war against Judah and took land, devastated Judah's army and 43 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:09,840 Speaker 3: plundered its cities. Still A Has refused to humble himself 44 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 3: and turned to God. He bowed to more and more 45 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 3: foreign idols until he finally died, never experiencing peace or salvation. 46 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:22,280 Speaker 3: Today will turn north once again to the Kingdom of Israel. 47 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:26,720 Speaker 3: They too are plunged into deep darkness, and God's anger 48 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 3: will burn against them, leaving devastated cities, suffering people and 49 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 3: citizens taking as slaves of the enemy. Yet, just as 50 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 3: A Has did, they will not release their idols or 51 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 3: turn from their evil because these foreign gods griped their hearts. 52 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 3: Let's listen now to today's reading of God's word. 53 00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 2: Violence and bloodshed marked the beginning of King Hoshiah's reign. 54 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 2: He led a coup against King Pica of Israel and 55 00:03:55,560 --> 00:04:00,440 Speaker 2: seized the throne because blood cried out in condemnation against Oshia. 56 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 2: He was a cowardly an evil man, although not an 57 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 2: idle worshiper like his forefathers. Rather than degrade the God 58 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 2: of Israel idolatry and false sacrifice, Hoshia sinned politically, he 59 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 2: compromised the safety and integrity of Israel by pledging allegiance 60 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:22,640 Speaker 2: to Shalmanisa, king of Assyria. Every year, Hoshia would give 61 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:25,960 Speaker 2: a tribute to Shalmanesa in exchange for safety. In favor. 62 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 2: To Hoshia, it seemed like he was protecting his people 63 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:33,520 Speaker 2: an actuality, he was sending them into their doom. One night, 64 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:37,200 Speaker 2: Hoshia sent his servants with an important message. The message 65 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:40,080 Speaker 2: was for so King of Egypt. In It was a 66 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 2: lengthy plea to wage war against Syria in exchange for 67 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 2: Israel's loyalty. After hundreds of years of freedom, Hoshia was 68 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 2: about to make Israel's slaves to Egypt once again. The 69 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 2: messengers rode fast under the cover of midnight. Their horses 70 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:57,720 Speaker 2: huffed under the darkness, and only the moon lit their way. 71 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:00,560 Speaker 2: As the riders drew closer to eat Egypt, they were 72 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:04,520 Speaker 2: interrupted by a band of Assyrian spies. They surrounded the 73 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 2: messengers inch by inch. They drew closer, then with one 74 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 2: scoop of their spear, they killed them. The message was 75 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:16,200 Speaker 2: received by chalamagn Sea livid, he mounted his chariot and 76 00:05:16,279 --> 00:05:21,120 Speaker 2: began his journey to Israel. Hoshia was walking in his gardens. 77 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:24,400 Speaker 2: He paced among the rose bushes, hoping to hear word 78 00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:27,480 Speaker 2: back from the King of Egypt. He could hear footsteps 79 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:32,440 Speaker 2: behind him, perhaps his messengers had returned. Hoshia turned around 80 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:34,960 Speaker 2: to the blunt side of a blade against his temple. 81 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:40,039 Speaker 2: Hoshia fell to the ground unconscious. When he awoke, he 82 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 2: was in an Assyrian prison. Chains choked at his throat, 83 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:46,119 Speaker 2: and the darkness of the cell was broken by only 84 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:51,599 Speaker 2: one torchlight. Hoshia would never see his kingdom again. The 85 00:05:51,680 --> 00:05:54,880 Speaker 2: king of Assyria unleashed a tidal wave of hate and fury. 86 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:58,600 Speaker 2: Under Samaria, the people of Israel were taken captive. They 87 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:01,599 Speaker 2: were stripped of their clothes, featen, and then taken away 88 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:05,599 Speaker 2: towards Assyria. Thousands of Israelites winced in pain as the 89 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:08,960 Speaker 2: Assyrians put fish hooks through their lower lips and tied 90 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 2: them to strings attached to the horses. Tied by fish hooks, 91 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:17,920 Speaker 2: the Israelites marched through the wilderness, naked and helpless. They 92 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:22,760 Speaker 2: were dispersed around Assyria to Halal, Habor, Gozan, and Medis. 93 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:27,239 Speaker 2: In all their sufferings, so many people refused to cry 94 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 2: out to God. Their idolatry was impeded. Deep in their hearts, 95 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:34,680 Speaker 2: they feared other gods and had forgotten the God that 96 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:38,039 Speaker 2: saved them from the fist of Pharaoh in Egypt. In 97 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:41,000 Speaker 2: the last two hundred years since King Solomon, they had 98 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:45,280 Speaker 2: erected pillars for other gods. They had condoned human sacrifice. 99 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 2: They even gave their own children as burnt offerings. They 100 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:54,480 Speaker 2: had forsaken charity, kindness towards foreigners, and humility. They served 101 00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 2: idols and themselves. The Lord had sent countless prophets to 102 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:02,320 Speaker 2: warn them. He warned them of how unstable they were becoming. 103 00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:04,919 Speaker 2: He warned them that their might as a nation was 104 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:08,159 Speaker 2: only as strong as their relationship with him. But they 105 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:11,720 Speaker 2: would not listen. They were stiff necked. They hated the 106 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:15,320 Speaker 2: law of the Lord. They adopted the practices of other nations. 107 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 2: As a result, they were captured like other nations. So 108 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 2: the Israelites were given to their own desires. Now they 109 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:27,240 Speaker 2: were truly like other nations. They faced the demise and 110 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:31,160 Speaker 2: humiliation of kingdoms that lived in a chaotic world. All 111 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:35,200 Speaker 2: but Judah were carted off like cattle to Assyria. Their 112 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:38,720 Speaker 2: pain filled moans echoed across the canyons, as did the 113 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:41,720 Speaker 2: screams of fish hooks being ripped off of children's lips. 114 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:45,480 Speaker 2: The sight filled God with sorrow, and he waited for 115 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:47,720 Speaker 2: them to cry out to him, but they did not. 116 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:51,240 Speaker 2: As the people were being taken away, the city of 117 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:54,960 Speaker 2: Samaria was destroying. Its walls were crushed and its homes 118 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:58,720 Speaker 2: were burnt. All that remained were palaces and buildings that 119 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:03,520 Speaker 2: the Assyrian people are. However, the Assyrians were unaware that 120 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:07,200 Speaker 2: the city belonged to God. As they drunkenly laughed in 121 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:09,680 Speaker 2: the temple halls, a roar could be heard from the 122 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:13,240 Speaker 2: city streets. God sent a pride of lions from the 123 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:17,320 Speaker 2: wilderness to drive out the Assyrians. King chunaman Seer was 124 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:21,680 Speaker 2: a brutal man, but wise and inquisitive. He appointed some 125 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 2: priests to teach him and his men about the ways 126 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:32,440 Speaker 2: of God, yet this did not sway him. 127 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:35,880 Speaker 3: We opened today's passage to find a bloody coup as 128 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:41,280 Speaker 3: Hosheia overthrew Israel's king Peka. Hoshea was a faithless king, 129 00:08:41,800 --> 00:08:44,560 Speaker 3: though as we learned, his idols were not carved images, 130 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:47,720 Speaker 3: like so many of the kings worshiped before him. No 131 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:52,160 Speaker 3: king Hosheia worshiped at a different altar, that of political 132 00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:56,240 Speaker 3: alliance with a foreign nation. Rather than trust God for 133 00:08:56,480 --> 00:09:00,079 Speaker 3: provision and protection, Hoshea turned to the king of a 134 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:05,480 Speaker 3: submitting himself and his nation's security to him to Hoshia. 135 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:09,440 Speaker 3: This seemed like a wise choice. Assyria was, after all, 136 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:14,319 Speaker 3: a mighty nation, But as Shamaneser, king of Assyria, soon discovered, 137 00:09:14,679 --> 00:09:18,200 Speaker 3: Hoshea's loyalty was not to him but to his own interests. 138 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:24,080 Speaker 3: But even as he pledged loyalty to Assyria, Hosheia engaged 139 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:27,400 Speaker 3: in treachery. He sent messengers to the King of Egypt, 140 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:31,160 Speaker 3: pledging loyalty to Egypt if they would attack and conquer Assyria. 141 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:35,679 Speaker 3: As you might imagine, Shamanisha was not too pleased when 142 00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:39,800 Speaker 3: he discovered this plan. For this, Hosheia and all of 143 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:43,520 Speaker 3: Israel paid dearly. Hoshea was bound in chains and thrown 144 00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:47,439 Speaker 3: into prison, and for three years, Israel was besieged by Assyria. 145 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:51,560 Speaker 3: In the ninth year of Hoshea's reign, Samaria fell to 146 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:56,920 Speaker 3: the Assyrians and the people were captured and enslaved. It's obvious, 147 00:09:57,000 --> 00:10:00,760 Speaker 3: isn't it when a nation and its leader turn from 148 00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:05,640 Speaker 3: God there is judgment that follows always, and people suffer. 149 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:10,599 Speaker 3: The very idols that people turn to today can ultimately 150 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:14,200 Speaker 3: enslave and torture us. Our idols are not made with 151 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:19,080 Speaker 3: stones or political alliances, but often those things that we love, 152 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:23,600 Speaker 3: or serve or worship more than God. After so many 153 00:10:23,679 --> 00:10:27,719 Speaker 3: years of unfaithfulness and idolatry, Israel faced the. 154 00:10:27,679 --> 00:10:32,280 Speaker 4: Consequences of their great sin. This was not the result 155 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:36,520 Speaker 4: of one sin or even one generation of evil. Since 156 00:10:36,559 --> 00:10:39,080 Speaker 4: they had left Egypt, Israel had lived in a pattern 157 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:43,280 Speaker 4: of rejecting God, desiring to be like other nations rather 158 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:45,920 Speaker 4: than being set apart and holy as God's people were 159 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:49,560 Speaker 4: designed to be. Time and time again, God has sent 160 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:52,360 Speaker 4: prophets and leaders to warn them and call them back 161 00:10:52,440 --> 00:10:56,040 Speaker 4: into a relationship with Him. We see this in Second 162 00:10:56,120 --> 00:11:00,640 Speaker 4: King seventeen, verse thirteen. Yet the Lord warn Israel and 163 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:04,640 Speaker 4: Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, turn from 164 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:07,720 Speaker 4: your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes 165 00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:10,680 Speaker 4: in accordance with my law that I commanded your fathers, 166 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:13,800 Speaker 4: and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets, 167 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:19,120 Speaker 4: but rebellious people continued to go further and further away 168 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:23,360 Speaker 4: from God embracing the cultures, the customs, and the carved 169 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:28,640 Speaker 4: enemies of the world. So Israel's people were dispersed as 170 00:11:28,640 --> 00:11:32,760 Speaker 4: slaves to cities throughout Assyria. The very thing that Hoshea 171 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:36,319 Speaker 4: had hoped to avoid with his dishonest dealings and foolish 172 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:41,120 Speaker 4: allegiances was now a reality. Ultimately, God gave his children 173 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:44,200 Speaker 4: what they wanted to be. Just like the other nations, 174 00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:48,920 Speaker 4: they exchanged what was truly good, a covenant relationship with 175 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:52,680 Speaker 4: their Maker, for a lie, the lie that they could 176 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:55,199 Speaker 4: have a better life apart from God and his ways. 177 00:11:55,960 --> 00:11:59,560 Speaker 4: In reality, it's the same lie that the devil told 178 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:04,640 Speaker 4: Adam even the garden, questioning the word of God and 179 00:12:04,679 --> 00:12:07,760 Speaker 4: suggesting that God is holding his perfect good away from 180 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:11,360 Speaker 4: his children. But even in their rejection and in the 181 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:16,600 Speaker 4: midst of exile and humiliation, God never stopped loving his own. 182 00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:19,840 Speaker 4: He still had a plan for Israel to one day 183 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:23,040 Speaker 4: break the change, and not only theirs, but the change 184 00:12:23,080 --> 00:12:25,800 Speaker 4: of all the world and the terrible grip of sin. 185 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:30,200 Speaker 4: He would do this through the Savior Messiah, the Lord 186 00:12:30,320 --> 00:12:34,920 Speaker 4: Jesus Christ. Dear God, thank you that the promise is 187 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:37,440 Speaker 4: still true, that it is always good to trust in 188 00:12:37,520 --> 00:12:40,720 Speaker 4: you to not rely upon the way of this world, 189 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:44,200 Speaker 4: but to always trust in your ways. Thank you that 190 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:47,600 Speaker 4: you never stop loving us or giving us an opportunity 191 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:51,800 Speaker 4: to repent and return to you. May we never exchange 192 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:55,800 Speaker 4: truth for lies. May we never listen to the enemy, 193 00:12:56,120 --> 00:12:59,480 Speaker 4: but always listen to you in Jesus's name. 194 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:03,400 Speaker 3: Amen. Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a 195 00:13:03,480 --> 00:13:08,440 Speaker 3: Year podcast. I'm pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download 196 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:11,760 Speaker 3: Theprey dot com app and make prayer a priority along 197 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:14,840 Speaker 3: with Bible study in your life. And if you enjoyed 198 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:17,720 Speaker 3: this podcast, be sure and share it with someone you 199 00:13:17,880 --> 00:13:21,120 Speaker 3: know because it can truly make a difference in someone 200 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:25,000 Speaker 3: else's life. And if you want more resources on how 201 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:28,000 Speaker 3: you can know the Bible and live the Christian life, 202 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:32,840 Speaker 3: contact me at Jack Graham dot org that's Jack Graham 203 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:36,120 Speaker 3: dot org for many resources that will help you in 204 00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:39,080 Speaker 3: your walk with God. God bless you.