2 Kings 17:7-23, The Sins of the Son of Nebat

Again, there was to be one place to worship.  Yet once that one place was built, it didn’t take long for idolatry to become a major part of life in Israel.  Solomon built the temple.  Solomon then built high places for his various foreign wives so they could worship their gods.  And then, in his latter years, Solomon joined them.  Because of this God judged Solomon, promising to split the nation into two parts: Israel in the North with 10 tribes, and Judah in the South with 2 tribes.  Sadly, idolatry played a major role in both kingdoms.

Today let’s focus on idolatry in the Northern Kingdom.  You probably know in God’s estimation, there were no kings in Israel in the north that could be called good.  One thing characterized them all.  All of them!  That one thing was that they followed in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.  What sins are we talking about?

Jeroboam was the first king of Israel.  Because he was worried that the people would continue to go to the “one place of worship” in Jerusalem, Jeroboam created a whole new “religion” around two golden calves: one in the far north in Dan, and one in the south of Israel at Bethel.

This is the “Sacred Precinct” at Tel Dan.  The altar on the left and the high place on the right.

This is the area where it’s believed the worship of the golden calves was located at Bethel.

Now, in the list below, I am primarily just going to give the passage where it says that each king followed in the sins of Jeroboam.  In other words, whatever else happened, they continued the religion he established to keep the people from going off to Jerusalem. 

KINGS OF ISRAEL

     1.     Jeroboam I: 1 Kings 12:25-33 records the establishment of the calves.

     2.     Nadab: 1 Kings 15:26.

     3.     Baasha: 1 Kings 15:34.  A new dynasty, yet the same idolatry.

     4.     Elah: It is not said he followed Jeroboam.  But he did, as is evident from what follows.

     5.     Zimri: 1 Kings 16:19.  He killed Elah, and reigned 7 days.

     6.     Omri: 1 Ki. 16:25-26.  Here begins a powerful dynasty.  Omri was the most evil king ever.

     7.     Ahab: 1 Kings 16:31-33.  But then Ahab, with the help of lovely Jezebel, took over the leadership as the most evil king ever.  It’s in the passage.  During Ahab’s reign Elijah was used of God on Mt. Carmel to call the people to choose between Baal and the God of Israel, the one and only true God.  Baal worship became big in this time, but the sins of Jeroboam continued as well.

     8.     Ahaziah: 1 Ki. 22:57.

     9.     Jehoram: 2 Ki. 3:2-3.

     10.     Jehu: 2 Ki. 10:28-31.  This king was as close to Israel having a good king in my view.  He was anointed by Elisha to do God’s will, which involved the destruction of the house of Omri/Ahab, including the gruesome death of Jezebel.  He also destroyed Baal worship in Israel.  Yet, he continued in the sins of Jeroboam.  God granted Jehu the promise of 4 generations on the throne.

     11.     Jehoahaz: 2 Kings 13:2.

     12.     Jehoash: 2 Kings 13:11.

     13.     Jeroboam II: 2 Kings 14:24.  He reigned 41 years while Azariah/Uzziah was reigning 52 years in Judah.  It was a time of considerable prosperity in both kingdoms.  God was merciful.

     14.     Zachariah: 2 Kings 15:9.  He reigned 6 months and was the end of the Jehu dynasty.

     15.     Shallum: He reigned 1 month and there is no mention of the sins of the son of Nebat.  But they did continue as the following indicates.

     16.     Menahem: 2 Kings 15:18.

     17.     Pekahiah: 2 Kings 15:24.

     18.     Pekah: 2 Kings 15:28.  This begins a new dynasty.  No matter how many times the rulership changed families, the sins of Jeroboam, son of Nebat continued.

     19.     Hoshea.  This was the final king of Israel.  2 Kings 17:2 says, “And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel who were before him.”  It doesn’t mention the sins of Jeroboam.  But Hoshea did have another “god” he worshiped: Egypt!  He trusted them to deliver him from the Assyrians instead of the LORD and the end was disastrous.

God’s conclusion concerning the Northern Kingdom was that "they had feared other gods” (2 Ki. 17:7), particularly in that they “walked in the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they did not depart from them” (17:22).