Lesson Six
The Kings of Israel

A. The Kingdom of Israel:
•	The Kingdom of Israel consisted of the ten tribes that broke away under Jeroboam. 
•	This Kingdom of Israel lasted for almost 250 years under the reign of 19 kings belonging to 9 different families. All of these kings were idolaters. 
•	The overthrow of Israel by the Assyrians under Shalmaneser took place about 722 BC.
•	People were brought from different parts of the Assyrian Empire to occupy the country.
•	They turned to the worship of Jehovah mixed with their worship of idols. The Samaritans of the New Testament were descendants of this mixed race. 

B. The Kings of Israel:
•	During the history of the kingdom, there were 19 kings belonging to 9 families or dynasties.
•	Because of idolatrous worship, there was much violence. Seven kings met death by violence: Nadab, Elah, Tibni, Jeroram, Zachariah, Shallum and Pekahiah.
•	Here is the list of the kings of Israel with the length of time each reigned:

First Dynasty		- Jeroboam I - 22 years
- Nadab - 2 years
Second Dynasty 	- Baasha - 24 years
- Elah - 2 years
Third Dynasty 	- Zimri - 7 days
Fourth Dynasty 	- Omri - 12 years
- Ahab - 22 years
- Ahaziah - 2 years
- Jeroram - 12 years
Fifth Dynasty 		- Jehu - 28 years
            - Jehoahaz - 17 years
- Jehoash - 16 years
- Jeroboam II - 41 years
            - Zachariah - 6 months
Sixth Dynasty 	            - Shallum - 1 month
Seventh Dynasty         - Menahem - 10 years
                                    - Pekahiah - 2 years
Eighth Dynasty           - Pekah - 20 years
Ninth Dynasty            - Hoshea - 9 years

This comes to a total of 241 years, 7 months & 7 days.

C. Jeroboam I: (I Kings 11:26-40; 12:1-14:20).
•	Israel's first king was a religious apostate. 
•	Fearing a continuation of religious pilgrimages to Jerusalem, he made two calves of gold and set them up at Bethel and Dan. He founded a new priesthood and started popular pagan festivals.
•	In the 21 times that Jeroboam's name is mentioned, his apostasy is linked with it, "Who did sin, and made Israel to sin." 

D. Nadab: (I Kings 14:20; 15:25-31).
•	Nabad was Jeroboam's son and followed his father's bad example. He was murdered within two years.

E. Baasha: (I Kings 15:27-16:7).
•	His name meant "wicked" and he was true to his name. To protect his throne, he massacred all the relatives of Jeroboam.

F. Elah & Zimri: (I Kings 16:5-20).
•	Elah was a drunkard and was known as a "debauchee." While drunk, Zimri who conspired against the king murdered him. 
•	Zimri reigned only one short week for the people did not accept him. Zimri set fire to the palace and died in the flames.

G. Omri: (I Kings 16:15-28; 20:34).
•	Omri did worse than all the others that were before him (I Kings 16:25).
•	Samaria now became the capital and sometimes the Northern Kingdom was called Samaria because of the capital.

H. Ahab: (I Kings 16:29-22:40).
•	His father had arranged his marriage with Jezebel, a Phoenician woman. 
•	Jezebel dominated her husband. 
•	Baal worship was introduced and everything possible was done to destroy the worship of the one true God.

I. Ahaziah: (I Kings 22:51; Ii Kings 1:18).
•	During his reign, the Moabites successfully rebelled. 
•	He fell from the lattice of his apartment and died after reigning two years.

J. Jehoram: (Ii Kings 1:17; 2; 6; 9).
•	During Jehoram's reign, the translation of Elijah took place. 
•	He deeply respected the warning and miracles of the prophet Elisha. 
•	The healing of Naaman and the overthrow of the Syrian hosts took place during his rule.
•	Jehoram was wounded in battle with Syria. 
•	Jehu was anointed king by one of the sons of the prophets. 
•	He set out for Jezreel and killed Jehoram on the very land Ahab had taken from Naboth. 
•	He had Jezebel flung from a window and eaten by dogs.

K. Jehu: (Ii Kings 9-10:36).
•	Throughout his 28 years of reign, Jehu was a bloody king. 
•	He abolished the worship of Baal but allowed the worship of golden calves to continue.
•	His purge of Baalism created serious political problems with the Phoenicians. 
•	He was forced to pay tribute to the Assyrian King.

L. Jehoahaz: (Ii Kings 13).
•	Hazael of Syria reduced Israel to little  more than the hill country of Ephraim. 
•	Because of oppression, he prayed unto God for help and God promised deliverance, which came during his son's reign (II Kings 13:4,5).

M. Jehoash: (Ii Kings 13:10-25).
•	He attacked Syria and regained the cities, which had been lost by his father.
•	He respected Elisha and paid respect to him during his final illness. 
•	During the last years of his reign, he attacked Amaziah of Judah, plundering Jerusalem and the Temple and carried off palace treasures.

N. Jeroboam II: (Ii Kings 14:23-29; Amos).
•	He was the son of Joash and the 13th king. He regained the territory lost to the Syrians.
•	He reign was one of expansion and prosperity.
•	During his reign, both Amos and Hosea prophesied that Israel would be taken into captivity.

O. The Final Reigns:
•	A state of anarchy followed the death of Jeroboam II. One king after another was murdered.
•	Hoshea was the last king. 
•	Hoshea agreed to pay Shalmaneser, the Assyrian king, tribute. 
•	After a time, the tribute was withheld and Hoshea looked to Egypt for help.
•	Shalmaneser invaded and ravaged the land. The Israelites were taken captive.

                                            

LESSON SIX
SELF HELP TEST
Place the correct name in each of the following blanks:
1. __________ He was the son of Omri.
2. __________ He was a bloody king and reigned 28 years.
3. __________ He was Jeroboam's son.
4. __________ He was Israel's thirteenth king.
5. __________ The healing of Naaman took place under his reign.
6. __________ He fell from the lattice of his apartment.
7. __________ He was the last king of Israel.
8. __________ He reigned only eight days.
9. __________ He moved the capital to Samaria.
10. __________ He married an Egyptian princess named Ano.
11. __________ He attacked Jerusalem and plundered the Temple.
12. __________ He took the Israelites captive.
13. __________ He married Jezebel, a Phoenician woman.
14. __________ His name meant "wicked."
15. __________ He was a drunkard.
16. __________ Amos prophesied during his reign.
17. __________ He reigned for twenty years.
18. __________ The Bible connects his name with apostasy 21 times.
19. __________ Elisha gave him an object lesson with arrows.
20. __________ He set fire to the palace and died in the flames.